Never Saw Me There
by Ekat
Summary: Time Force from Eric's POV.  CHAPTER 6 NOW UP!
1. In the Beginning

Series Title: Never Saw Me There  
  
Chapter Title: In the Beginning  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Summary: A different interpretation of Time Force  
  
Disclaimer: darn you Rach! This story is loosely based off of the story "Identity" and "Identity Outtakes" by Rach. None of the characters belong to me.  
  
A/N: This story is what happens when a dedicated beta tries to find anything redeeming about a character her favorite writer seems to like.  
  
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She ran into his arms sobbing. "I should have told you a long time ago…" Oh god, here it comes. "I love you." Why did she have to say it?  
  
Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I still had a chance. "I love you, too," he told her. My heart broke. But rather than show my despair, I stood there watching them, a smile plastered onto my face.  
  
He continued his declaration of devotion. "I only wish I could live another thousand years so that we could be together again."  
  
I didn't actually time their embrace, but it felt like an eternity before she let go of him. The look of longing, of desire between them made my soul ache. Why couldn't I be the one receiving that look?  
  
The setting sun, the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks, the cry of the gulls – it was all so damn romantic. And I had a front row seat. Eventually the torture ended and she headed to her Time Ship. He stood there watching her leave. His heart was breaking, even though he was trying to hide it behind a smile. I knew exactly how he felt. More than he knew.  
  
  
  
I raised my hand to my forehead to salute her and the others. Despite everything, they were brave warriors, deserving of respect. I noticed the others were just standing there, oblivious to the power of the moment.  
  
"Salute!" I cried and in perfect unison the other Guardians snapped to attention.  
  
I stood there, in formal salute, and waited for the Time Ship to leave. As I did, my mind wandered through my memories…back to when this all started.  
  
~*~  
  
I stood there before the CEO of Biolab as he read through my resume.  
  
"You certainly have an impressive record, Mr. Myers," he said.  
  
"Thank you, Sir," I said, staring straight ahead. I hadn't been out of the military long enough to gain back the casual disregard for formalities that is common among civilians.  
  
He looked up at me. "I think you'll make a fine addition to my new Silver Guardians."  
  
"Thank you, Sir."  
  
He looked back at my resume. "It says here you attended Billingsley Preparatory Academy."  
  
I nodded, eyes still straight ahead. "Yes, Sir. Although I only attended there for my freshman and sophomore years."  
  
He raised his head and his face took on a thoughtful expression. "I wonder if you knew my son Wesley."  
  
I felt my heart skip a beat. Wes? Wes Collins? Yes, I knew him. He was the only person on that entire damn campus who tried to make friends with me. Me – the charity case from the wrong side of the tracks. Wes. Yes I remembered him. All to well.  
  
"I seem to recall having a class or two with him, Sir. But we never really interacted."  
  
"Well, Wes wasn't exactly the most outgoing kid," he said. "Anyway, report to this address tomorrow at nine for orientation." He stood up, reached across the impressively large mahogany desk and handed me a small business card. I took it and slipped it into my pocket.  
  
"Welcome to the team, Myers," he said offering me his hand. I took it.  
  
"Thank you, Sir. I won't make you regret having hired me."  
  
He smiled at me. "Of that, I have no doubt."  
  
I nodded at him, turned on my heel and walked to the door. As I reached for the knob, a question sprang to my mind. I turned back to look at him.  
  
"May I ask you a question, Sir?" He looked up at me and gave me that "make it quick" look. "I'm assuming Wes works here. Might I inquire as to where his office is? Thought I might stop by and say hello."  
  
A slight frown settled into the corners of his mouth. "Wes used to work here. He recently decided to pursue other opportunities."  
  
I nodded. "Thank you, Sir," I said and left the office. The door closed behind me and I sagged against it.  
  
I was back in Silverhills, the one place on earth I swore I would never come back to. I had a job. And from the sounds of it, I won't be running into the one person I wanted to see, but at the same time feared running into again.  
  
But hey, I had a job. At least now I could eat.  
  
1 TO BE CONTINUED… 


	2. Reunion

Series Title: Never Saw Me There

Chapter Title: Reunion

Rating: PG-13

A/N: based on chapter "Old Friend, New Problem" from "Identity" by Rach and the episode "Worlds Apart". Any deviation from the actual episode (which I have not watched) is to remain consistent with the world created by Rach.

*************************

Orientation with the Silver Guardians had been just like basic training, only not as intense. There was no one waking me up at all hours of the morning, trying to demoralize me and drive me insane. Actually orientation and training for the SG's reminded me a great deal of phys ed class back in high school. And after two weeks of "training" I became an official Silver Guardian grunt. It felt strange being back in the roll of the ordered rather than the one issuing the orders. 

I stood in the locker room and adjusted the uniform's black baseball cap. It had the letters CGD embroidered in white on it. I wondered what they stood for. But like a good little grunt, I hadn't asked. It didn't really matter. Ours is not to question why, and all that. 

"So how does it feel to be all official?" I heard someone ask me. I turned around to see Carter standing there. I had no clue what his first name was, he had been introduced to me as Carter and that's all anyone ever called him.

"Feels like I'm right back in the Marines," I told him. He smiled at me; it was a warm and friendly smile. I wondered if it was actually a sincere one. It would be nice to have a friend again.

"Uniform looks good, like you were born to wear it," he said. I looked down at said uniform. I had to admit I really did look good in the thing. I looked back up at him and shrugged. 

"Maybe it's because for the last ten years or so, I've spent my entire waking existence in one uniform or another. Private school, the marines, here. I honestly think I've gotten to the point where I couldn't pick out an outfit on my own."

Carter laughed and slapped his hand down on my shoulder. "Dude, you're a guy. We are chromosomally predisposed towards no fashion sense. That's why I have a girlfriend. She says 'wear this' and I just smile and go 'OK'."

I returned the smile, only half-heartedly. "Well, I don't have a girlfriend. So I guess I'll just have to suffer with the label of fashion victim."

If he had a response he didn't say it. Instead a loud klaxon filled the air. "Code 11. All units report to staging area!" a voice cried over the intercom.

"Wow, your first day officially on the job and you get to see some action," Carter said as he reached into his locker and grabbed his belt and weapon. I followed his example and grabbed my gear.

Together we headed to the hanger where we met up with the other Guardians to receive our assignment.

~*~

We arrived at what remained of Southview Shopping Center just after three in the afternoon. "Delta team, take up a flanking position to the west," a voice said over the headset I was wearing. I immediately fell into position with the rest of my team. It was until we were set that I looked up to see what it was we were flanking.

A woman. _We are flanking a woman?_ I thought to myself. _What the hell could one woman do? OK, so she has horrid taste in hair color, but still._ Just then I noticed the hundred or so robots that surrounded her.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I hadn't noticed Commander Porter join my team and aim his sidearm until he called out to her. "Halt!" he ordered. "You are under arrest." The woman paused for a moment but didn't give in. Instead, she walked towards us. 

I raised my weapon as well and waited for the order. It came.

"Fire!" the Commander cried. And with that all hell broke loose.

It felt exhilarating being back in action. There is just something about the power rush that comes with holding a weapon in your hands, surrounded on all sides by your comrades-in-arms, defending your home. Makes you feel like a man.

Eventually the order to cease-fire came. I stopped shooting but keep my blaster raised. Amazingly not a single blast hit her. The robots were another story. They had fallen like flies. Large, metal flies.

I just stood there, waiting for my next order. And, eventually it came. Commander Porter's voice came over the headset. "Fire!" And like the good little soldier boy that I was, I did.

"Hold your fire," I heard. And I stopped, grateful for the order. My arms and fingers were growing tired. I lowered my weapon.

"You'll All pay!" the woman cried. I had to fight the urge to laugh. All I could think of was the Wicked Witch of the West saying "I'll get you my pretty." But before I could actually give into the urge, she did something completely unexpected. She disappeared. Poof. I found myself standing there with my jaw open blinking in disbelief. 

"Delta Team, secure the perimeter."

I immediately obeyed and joined my team in making sure the robots were no longer a threat. As we did so, I noticed the large crowd of people that had gathered to watch our showdown with the Pink Lady and her band of bots. I shook my head. If today was any indication of the situations we would be facing in the future, these people needed to learn to get out of the way or end up as collateral damage.

Once we had secured the scene, I heard the Commander call out again. "Let's move out!" I fell in line and headed back to the transports. As I walked back, a face in the crowed caught my eye.

__

Could it be? I looked at the face and realized it was. Sneaking a quick look around, I broke ranks and walked over to him. As I approached him, I wondered if he would remember me. It had been over close to a decade since we had seen each other.

The look of disbelief on his face told me he did remember me. I found myself smiling at him.

"Long time, no see, Wes," I said, hoping that I at least managed to _sound _calm. My heart was pounding too fast for me to actually hear my own voice.

He stood there stunned. I smiled at him, hoping, _praying_, to get a response. As I waited for him to say something, I looked at the people with them. Of the four, the two guys and the African-American girl just looked at me in stunned silence. But it was the expression of the other girl that bothered me.

She stood there stiffly and glared at me. It was a glare of self-importance, of superiority. Clearly she believed that I was beneath her and her friends. "How dare you think to associate with us," it said. It was a look I was **very** familiar with.

I felt the smile on my lips fade and my back grow straighter. _Screw you lady. I fought for my country. I shed blood to keep this world safe. I was a U.S. Marine. What have you done lately? I might not have top of the line clothes or access to daddy's checkbook, but that doesn't make me any less of a human than you are,_ I thought

I found myself standing in perfect at-ease, the sign of a good soldier. I hadn't even realized that Wes was talking to me. The look on his face told me he had just asked a question. Asking what I was doing there, no doubt.

"I'm with the Silver Guardians," I explained. "We protect the city now." I looked at him. He was wearing some kind of uniform. It was similar to what his friends were wearing. I wondered what he was doing wearing the uniform. It looked like the coveralls janitors wear. Wes Collins, janitor? Somehow that didn't seem right. Not him. But then again, eight years overseas does tend to leave one out of the loop. Maybe it was the latest fashion trend.

"And you?" I queried. I inwardly flinched. It had come out much snider than I had intended. Wes started stammering some sort of explanation, but I didn't hear it.

I jumped slightly as a sudden voice rang in my ears. "Myers! What the hell are you doing?" the Commander snapped over my headset. "Get your ass over here on the double." 

"Let's move out!" the Commander yelled so that everyone could hear him.

Snapping back into reality and remembering the real reason I was at the shopping plaza, I looked back to Wes and then to the brown haired woman behind him. "Gotta go," I said. "I have real work to do." I saw the look of hurt in Wes' eyes but I was more focused on her expression. It was icy and cold. Ice Queen. That was her.

I turned and headed back to my team. I paused long enough to call back to Wes, "See ya 'round." Before he could respond I quickened my pace, reached the SUV and climbed in. It wasn't until we were moving that I allowed myself to relax.

__

Good going, Myers, I thought. _Could you have been **any more** of an ass?_

~*~

Another skirmish, another paycheck. At least that's what I thought going into the situation. Actually I hadn't really thought about the situation at all. Even as we rode to the scene all I could think of was Wes.

I didn't exactly make an award-winning appearance when I saw him. And then later, when I offered Mr. Collins to help find his son, what happens? I get shot down again. Why the hell did I bother coming back to Silverhills anyway? Because my life had been rapidly going down the toilet ever since my discharge. And they always say, when something goes wrong, go back to the beginning. And Silverhills was the beginning. Of everything.

"Wake up Sleeping Beauty," I heard as someone shook me. I blinked several times before turning to look at my assailant. Carter sat next to me grinning. "We're here." I nodded and opened the door.

As I stepped out of the SUV, my mind refused to accept what it saw. Everywhere I looked carnage, chaos, destruction. I had seen this kind of thing before. The place looked more like Kosovo than Silverhills.

I felt myself begin to tremble and my palms started to perspire. My heart started racing a million miles and hour and suddenly I was having trouble seeing straight. _OH god! Not now! _I silently cried as the panic started to take over.

I took a deep breath. _I will not panic. I will not panic,_ I mentally chanted. Ever since Yugoslavia, that had been my daily mantra. My caseworker at the VA had tried to get me to see a shrink, but I wasn't about to let yet another expert poke and prod into my psyche.

"Yes, Sir!" I heard the other Guardians shout, knocking me out of my near catatonic state. Carter came up beside me.

"You OK there, Myers? You look like you've seen a ghost."

__

More like a nightmare, I thought. "Huh? Oh yeah. I'm fine," I said as I fell into position behind one of the rocket launchers.

"Fire!" the Commander shouted. It wasn't until that moment that I saw what it was that we were fighting.

I had no clue what the _THING_ was. It looked like something straight out of some strange sci-fi movie. It was bipedal, but had some kind of metallic exoskeleton. Frankly it looked like some kind of mutant humanoid cockroach. As I did the mental assessment of my target, I fired my blaster.

Nothing we were doing was working. The thing just kept coming. 

Then, suddenly we had backup. Not in the form of more Guardians or police, but in the form of the Time Force Rangers. I had read about them in the paper. A group of five people who got their kicks out of dressing up in ridiculous outfits and acting like some kind of freaking super heroes. Super heroes my ass. Vigilantes was more like it.

From the looks of it, these Rangers had already gone three rounds with the cockroach and had not won. _Aren't even smart enough to know to lie down when their dead. _But the Rangers did draw the thing's attention off of us and the order to cease-fire came.

I could only watch in stunned silence as the mutant went after the Rangers. One by one they went down until it was only the cockroach and the Red Ranger. It was like watching a train wreck. You want to look away but find that you can't.

The kick that the Ranger sent was easily deflected and soon we were all watching his limp body flying through the air. I flinched in sympathetic pain as he landed. _That had to hurt._

"Delta Team, move into flanking position, cover the Ranger," the Commander shouted into the headset. As he yelled the order, he moved to provide cover for the fallen Ranger and I found myself standing next to him. "Weapons ready!"

I raised my blaster and waited for the order to fire. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Commander Porter take a step forward to address the cockroach. "This is your **last** warning!" he advised.

The mutant paused, brought his hands up before him. "Should I be _scared_?" it asked sarcastically. I settled myself into a more balanced position and readied myself for the order that I knew was coming.

Suddenly I felt something grab my shoulder. I turned back to see the Red Ranger holding onto me and the Commander. "No, **wait**! You can't beat him with those weapons. He's **too** powerful," he said, his voice begging us to listen to him. I paused a moment. I knew that voice. But I just couldn't place from where.

The Commander kept his eyes on the mutant as he shrugged of the Ranger. "Move!" he ordered as he stepped away. "Fire!" A barrage of blaster fire slams into the mutant. Unfortunately the thing seemed totally unaffected by it. Instead it laughed and drew its own weapon and fired.

The next thing I knew I was looking up at the most beautiful blue sky I had ever seen. I tried to stand up. _Ow!_ Maybe not. I looked over to see Commander Porter lying next to me, sans beret and sunglasses, his blaster trained on the mutant.

"See ya, soldier," the thing sneered as it leveled its rifle as the Commander carefully rose to his feet and aimed his weapon.

"No, wait!" I heard behind me. I sat up to see the Red Ranger stager to his feet. "Look out!" He then dove and pushed the Commander out of the way, just as the mutant fired. Time seemed to slow as I sat there helpless to do anything but watch the blast leave the mutant's rifle, the Commander fall to the ground, and the Red Ranger take the entire force of the shot in his chest.

There was an ear-piercing explosion and I dropped back down to the ground, coving my head as best I could to protect it from any flying debris. The loud explosions, the cries of the injured men, the smell of burning concrete. It all assaulted me and forced the memories forward.

__

"DrZite njima!" 

"Mašiti se"!

The feel of them grabbing me. My helmet flying. The world going black.

I will not panic, I will not panic. I am home. I am safe. This is California, **not** Yugoslavia. I recited to myself.

Slowly I managed to fight back the panic and look around. The Rangers were fighting the robots. All but the Red Ranger, that is. He was kneeling in the base of a large crater, trying to get to his feet.

Being the closest to him, I started to crawl towards him, to see if I could help. "Are…Are you OK?" I croaked. He then looked up at me and I found myself frozen to the spot. His visor was destroyed. How it had exploded and not taken out his eyes was beyond me. But beyond the miracle of having them intact, something about his eyes shocked me. 

I took off my sunglasses to get a better look and just stared at him. I knew him. But my mind didn't want to process it. I **knew** him.

"Wes?" He just looked up at me, his intense green eyes looking at me, startled; as if he were a kid being caught with his hand in the cookie jar. All I could do was sit there and watch him climb to his feet and stager out of the crater.

Gingerly I got to my feet to follow him. "Wes! Wait!" I cried out after him. He turned back to give me one more look before turning back. It wasn't until that moment that I realized that Mr. Collins was there, watching it all. But there he stood, blocking Wes' way.

"Wesley, what's the meaning of this? **You're** a Time Force Ranger?" I heard him ask. I could hear the disbelief dripping from his voice. But underneath the disbelief was something else. Pride maybe? I wouldn't know. Never had anyone be proud of me before.

"I wanted to tell you, dad. But I couldn't," Wes mumbled back. I watch his eyes scan the scene, absorbing the chaos and devastation that surrounded him. 

It was then that it seemed that Mr. Collins finally noticed the Wes' condition. "You're hurt."

Something inside Wes snapped. "Look," he said turning his attention back to his father, "you don't know what you're up against here. People are getting hurt! All because **you** want more money. How much is enough? What will it take?"

Mr. Collins shook his head. "No, that's not it at all. You don't understand." 

Wes' temper had reached critical. Even I could see it. "Don't I?" Wes shot back.

He reached for Wes. "I…I had the perfect future planned out for you."

Wes shrugged him off. "**Your **future, not mine. For the first time in my life, I'm really making a difference." He then pushed past his father to head back to his friends. 

Mr. Collins reached out and grabbed his elbow and stepped in front of him. "Wes, wait, **stop.** If you'll just let me explain…"

Wes shrugged him of. "**No**."

That was obviously **not** the answer Mr. Collins expected. "No?"

"All my life, I've done what **you** wanted me to do. Been what **you** wanted me to be. It didn't matter that **I** didn't want to do it or be it. Well, now **I** am making my own future." He then turned and ran up the stairs. Away from his father. Away from me. Away from his past.

"Wes, son…" I heard Mr. Collins whisper. "**Hey**! Don't you walk away from me when I'm…" But Wes was already almost out of earshot. "Wesley, you walk away, you'll regret it." 

Wes paused for a moment and looked back at his father; saying farewell to his past. "I'd regret it if I stayed." Then slowly he turned back and continued on. I don't think he ever saw me standing behind his dad.

"WESLEY!" Mr. Collins cried out.

At the same time I called out. "Wes, don't be **stupid**. Wes! You should listen to your father!" If he heard me, he didn't give any indication.

He had no idea what he was getting himself into. He was the rich kid I went to school with. The hardest thing he ever had to face was trying to determine which Rolex to wear with his suit. He was heading unprepared into a war. And war doesn't care what side of the tracks you come from. It doesn't stop for the rich, the sick, the invalid or the weak. 

I wanted to race after him and tell him to stop. He had been the only person in my life to actually try to care. I wanted to protect him. I wanted to stop him. I took a step forward to follow him.

"Myers!" I jumped. I had forgotten all about my Team. "Get your ass back here. The Commander's hurt." I recognized Carter's voice over the headset. Pausing long enough to give Mr. Collins a glance, to make sure he was all right, I turned and headed back to the SUVs at a slow jog – any faster would have hurt too much.

I arrived back at the vehicles in time to see an EMS team load Commander Porter into an ambulance. I quickened my pace to join Carter next to the emergency vehicle.

"Now what?" I asked him. I knew what I would do in our situation, but he was my superior. OK, maybe not _superior_, but he was senior Guardian on site. He just looked at me. Great, he had no clue. He was a great grunt, but he would never cut it as a commander.

"Fine. We were hired to protect this place, right?" He nodded. "Well, that's exactly what we are going to do. If those Rangers can take that thing on with just a couple of funny looking swords, we can take him with state-of-the-art technology." 

The look of relief in the eyes of my fellow Guardians told me all that I needed to know about my team. They needed a leader and were grateful that someone stepped forward to take on the role. Well, it wouldn't be the first time I lead a team into a war zone. Hopefully it wouldn't turn out the same as the last time I did.

I looked around me, quickly assessing the health of my team. "You, you and you," I said pointing to the people I was talking to. "Load up the launchers and the rest of the big artillery and follow us. Carter, you, Jacobs, and Mendleson come with me. The rest of you, recon the area, help the wounded and try to stop any panicking." I headed towards one of the SUVs and climbed in. As soon as my team was in place I drove off, following the wake of carnage.

It wasn't long before we couldn't drive any further. Streetlamps were blocking the road. While an SUV may have four-wheel drive and be designed for off-roading, I don't think Ford had mutant rubble in mind when they designed the suspension.

Sighing, I climbed out and turned to the other Guardians. "You three help the others get the weapons. I'm going to run ahead and eyeball the situation." They nodded and went to help the others. I checked my weapon, pulled my hat firmer onto my head and took off.

I arrived on the scene the same time Mr. Collins did. Just in time to see the Rangers save the day. 

The mutant had been contained. People were cheering, the birds were singing, the sun was shining. It was a freaking Mary Poppins kind of moment. 

And a bunch of civilians had saved the city. Sometimes life just isn't fair.

__

TO BE CONTINUED…


	3. Sins of the Past

Series Title: Never Saw Me There

Chapter Title: Sins of the Past

Rating: PG-13

A/N: This takes place between the episodes "Worlds Apart" and "The Quantum Quest". It loosely falls between the chapters "Old Friend, New Problem", "Measured Chaos" and "A New Man" in the story _Identity_ by Rach. Some references are made to a yet unposted Eric back story by Rach. The benefits of being a beta reader… you see stuff before anyone else does. Any deviation from Time Force is to remain consistent with the world created by Rach.

Thank you, once again to Rach for letting me play with her toys. 

*******************

I arrived home well after dark. Home. Yeah right. It was a place that I kept my stuff and occasionally slept at. The first thing I did, like I do every time I come home, was turn on every light in the place and switch on the television. Light and noise are my constant companions now. I find it sadly funny that here I am, once a big bad Unites States Marine, scared of the dark. Had someone asked me ten years ago, I would never have believed that at 26 I would be unable to sleep without a nightlight. Some big tough soldier I turned out to be.

I wandered into my small galley kitchen in search of dinner. I opened the fridge and looked in. To say that the contents were pathetic would be an understatement. There were several boxes of three-week-old Chinese take-out, a carton of milk that was coming close to becoming cheese, a carton of eggs, and a bottle of ketchup. Sighing, I shut the fridge and went to rummage in the cupboards.

The cupboards were just as sad as the fridge. Even with a steady job, I just couldn't get motivated to go grocery shopping and make sure I had real food in the house. I eventually settled for a bag of potato chips. Beverage was a different story however.

My day had just been too stressful for something tame like water. Carefully I pulled a small stool in front of the fridge so that I could reach into the cupboard above. I reached in and pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels. 

I generally don't drink, especially since my old lady spent more time lying under the table than she did eating at it, which is why I keep the hard stuff in a place that I actually have to think about getting to. I refuse to become another pickled leaf on the Myers family tree.

Taking my bag of chips and my friend Jack with me, I went back into the living room and flopped down into one of the ratty Salvation Army reject chairs I owned. I kicked off my shoes, propped my feet up on the small and rickety coffee table, and settled in to watch some mindless entertainment. 

I flipped aimlessly flipped channels until something caught my eye. It was the 10 o'clock news report. There, behind the anchorwoman, was a picture of the Time Force Rangers. The caption read: Another Mutant Stopped. While the sound TV was loud enough to create background noise, it was still too low to make out actual dialogue. I hit the volume control until I could hear what the woman was saying. 

"Peace was once again restored to Silverhills today when the Time Force Rangers brought a stop to another rampaging mutant. The mutant, later identified with the name Univolt, wreaked havoc and mayhem on downtown, causing untold amounts of destruction to property and injuring several bystanders. 

The newly created Silver Guardians were the first on the scene, but the power and strength of the mutant proved to be too overwhelming for them. Mr. Alexander Collins, CEO of Bio Lab and creator of the Silver Guardians had this to say…"

The picture on the screen changed to a swarm of reporters surrounding Mr. Collins.

__

"Of course we are grateful to the Time Force Rangers for their assistance with this mutant. But I would like to assure the people of Silverhills that the Silver Guardians are the best-prepared security agency not affiliated with the federal government. Even now our Research and Design teams are working on better and more effective mean to defend this city against this mutant invasion."

Back to the anchorwoman. _"On behalf of a grateful city, thank you Time Force Rangers."_

I flipped the channel. Damn Rangers. Handful of untrained** civilians**. What the hell did they know about security protocol?

My mind flashed back to seeing the Red Ranger lying in the crater and looking up at me. What the hell was Wes doing there? Snagging all the glory that's what. Once again he has to be the one to get noticed. Just once I would like to be noticed. 

I opened the bottle of JD and took a long swig. I savored the way it burned as it ran down my throat. It reminded me that I was alive. It helped me to remember that I can feel things. 

Wes. Even after a decade, he still had an effect on me. When I first started Billingsley, I was looked down upon, treated like scum. Afterall, I wasn't one of _them_. I was the charity case; the kid from the slums who managed to con his way into a scholarship at the most prestigious prep school in the state. I was lower than dirt.

Then, for some reason, Wes decided to make me his pet project. Well, in the beginning it felt like that. It wasn't until much later that I realized that he was just being himself. He was being nice. He wanted to be friends. And a friend was the one thing above all else I craved. And I had found it in the form of Wesley Collins.

What had started out as assigned chem lab partners had actually developed into something more, something lasting. He stood by me when the other guys made fun of my background or openly refused to invite me to parties. He would offer to pay for pizza during our study sessions, knowing that was the only meal I would have had all day, without making me feel like a charity case. "You can get it next time," he'd say. Only the next time would come and he'd make the same statement. Best buds. That's what he called us. Always and forever. 

Then junior year came. 

I had always known I was different from the other guys. Hell, _they_ knew I was different. And I don't just mean in a socio-economic way. There were some things that guys do that I just couldn't get into. Oh sure, sports I was into. Martial arts… I was a fifth degree black belt. But there were other things. Girls.

Sometime during my junior year the snide comments started. I began to hear the rumors. If they had only been directed at me, I could have handled it. But they began to involve others. Wes to be exact. If he heard the comments, he never said a word; never showed that it affected him. He stood by me. Loyal. A true friend.

I tried to act like him. Uncaring about the opinions of others. I wanted him to be proud of me. He was the only one I gave a damn about and who seemed to give a damn about me. But it was more than that. One night I realized that the rumors were true. I cared for Wes. More than I probably should have. 

The next morning I took steps to save my friend's reputation. I couldn't care less what the stuck-up rich kids thought about me. But I couldn't stand by and watch them destroy Wes. I went to the registrar's office and dropped out. Without my constant presence, those good-for-nothings would forget all about it and welcome him back into the fold where he belonged.

I closed my eyes and thought back to that day. How he came running after me. The hurt in his eyes when he asked "You're quitting?" It took all my will power to not agree to go back. I just couldn't. He had a future - one that depended on his social position. And that position was not going to improve as long as I was around to bring it down. So instead, I just turned and walked away. From him. From our friendship. From everything.

I never even knew if my feelings were returned. And I didn't want to know. It would have made leaving that much harder.

I spent the next year trying to come to terms with who and what I was. I didn't want to believe the obvious. Not me. I couldn't be like that. All the while I did what I could to make ends meet. I flipped burgers; I mopped supermarkets after hours; I pumped gas. But I just couldn't keep my head above water. So the minute I turned eighteen I marched myself down to the local enlistment office and joined the US Marine Corps. After all, there is no bunch of manlier men then the Marines.

In the Marines I finally found the one thing I had really been searching for. I had found a home and a family. They didn't care that I was a welfare kid. They didn't care that I could conjugate Latin verbs in my sleep. And no one really ever asked me about my romantic life. The most they ever asked was "So, Myers, got a girl back home?" and they would accept "nope" as an answer and never give it a second thought.

I worked hard in the Marines, doing everything I could to prove myself, to myself, to my unit, to my C.O., and, hoping that somehow he would hear about my success…Wes. I was a damn fine Marine, with every intention of making it my career. I had dreams of one day having the stars on my shoulder. General Myers. That would show those snobby rich kids, now wouldn't it?

But I should have known. Dreams aren't meant for the likes of me. 

After seven years of sweat, tears, toil and more than a little blood, I got posted to Kosovo and a year later, I was urged not to re-enlist. They started throwing phrases like Post-Traumatic Stress around...saying I was mentally unbalanced. And without so much as a "by your leave" I was once again reduced to the rank of civilian.

When I came back to Silverhills, I had a small hope of seeing Wes again. I wanted to show him that I had made something of my life. The Silver Guardians seemed the way to go. They seemed to be the private sector's answer to the Marines. They protected people and property. They were the good guys.

When I finally ran into Wes, he looked genuinely happy to see me. So why did I act like such an ass towards him? That girl. There was something about her that just pushed all my buttons. Under her gaze I was back to being the poor welfare kid, wearing second-hand clothes. Suddenly all those defense mechanisms kicked back in. The rudeness, the standoffishness, the asshole.

I resolved then and there that I would show him. Prove to him that I was somebody. I would make him proud of me. Glad to call me friend. Welcome me back into his life.

Then what happens? The Time Force Rangers. They arrive "just in time to save the Silver Guardians". And who should be the one to lead the charge? Wesley James Collins. The Red Ranger. The hero of Silverhills. 

Why would anyone care about some lowly SG grunt when they can lavish the praise and attention onto the Rangers? Once again, Wes gets everything handed to him on a silver platter while lowly old Eric gets to go home, tail between his legs, licking his wounds.

Life's just not fair.

But I'd do it. I'd show them that I am somebody. Someone worth having around. I'll make Wes notice me again. I'd make him proud of me. 

Then I yawned. I decided it could wait until the morning - right then, what I could use was some sleep.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	4. Just Like Wes

Series Title: Never Saw Me There

Chapter Title: Just Like Wes

Rating: PG-13

A/N: This takes place during the episode "The Quantum Quest". It is loosely based on the chapters "Measured Chaos" and "A New Man" in the story _Identity_ by Rach. Some references are made to "Scars" (a wonderfully written Eric backstory… go check it out!) by Rach. Any deviation from Time Force is to remain consistent with the world created by Rach or to bring some consistency to gapping holes in plot lines and logic.

Thank you: once again to Rach… a wonderful person, the bestest beta a writer could ever have, and the bestest friend I have never met (she'll know what I mean)… thank you dear for letting me play with your toys. 

*******************

Did I ever mention that I hated Wednesdays? Most people have bad days on Mondays. For some reason mine always fell on Wednesdays. On this particular Wednesday, I overslept and ended up getting into work an hour late, causing me to get the "you need to be more responsible" speech from Carter.

To work out my frustration I decided to head to the gym and turn the pent up anger into something useful…a good workout. Luck was on my side - the gym was empty. It's not that I didn't like my fellow Guardians, it was just that when I run katas I tend to get a bit…enthusiastic. I had even been known to get carried away and severely injure my sparring partners. Also, there would be no one to see the scars on my back should my shirt ride up. Wouldn't have to give explanations to anyone who had no business knowing.

I stood in the middle of the gym and closed my eyes, taking deep cleansing breaths. The voice of Sensei Kyoto rang through my ears. "Your own anger is a weapon that can be used by your enemy against you. You must be like the mighty willow tree… rooted and strong, but flexible enough to bend in the wind." I suppose the advice would have been more effective if I had ever seen a willow tree. 

As I began the warm-up routines I had learned years ago, I felt the tension slowly leave my shoulders. It was only while in the middle of the ritual movements of Karate that I truly felt free. It was me and only me. No one to judge and criticize me. No one to tell me that I couldn't do something. My background didn't matter. I was just Eric… fifth degree black belt. 

Gradually the katas flowed from the warm-up to the actual work out. My mind conjured an opponent for me - tall, skinny, pox-marred face, black hair, Serbian uniform, barely accented English. In my mind he struck out at me and my body automatically followed, fighting back - blocking, parrying, striking and kicking back. Everything I couldn't do in real life two years ago.

I was close to the end of the routine when I heard the door open. I didn't stop my movements, knowing full well that if I didn't gradually stop, I would cramp. The intruder at least had the brains not to distract me by talking to me. Carefully I brought my kata to an end.

Right on cue my visitor cleared his throat. "Hey Eric." It took all my control not to jump when he spoke. I recognized the voice. Wes. Up until that moment I hadn't realized just how concerned I had been for him. He hadn't been around lately. Not even with the other Rangers.

"You're not dead then," I said. I flinched, that was rude. Luckily my back was to him so he didn't see my reaction. 

"Not last time I checked," he snapped back. I flinched again; I had hit a nerve. I turned to look at him and had to fight the urge to gasp. He looked like crud. He had been hurt worse than I had thought. But I was not about to let him see my true reaction.

"Did begin to wonder, considering I haven't seen you with your multicolored friends recently."

Hurt and anger flashed in his eyes. He swallowed, obviously biting back his first response. Finally he returned with the lamest comeback I had heard in a long time. "Well, you know how it is."

Unfortunately I knew exactly how it was. All too well. Too injured to help your team. Treated like a social leper when you finally could return. We were more alike than he realized, but as much as I wanted to let him know that I understood, I wasn't going to share. Not with him. Not with anyone. They were my problems and no one else's.

"Can't say I do." I eventually said. "Was there something you wanted?" _ Tell me you are here to renew the friendship. Tell me that you've missed me and wonder how I've been. Tell me that you heard about my time with the Marines. Tell me that you are proud of me._

He nodded. "Yes, actually." 

My heart began to race in anticipation. Was he going to say it? "So?" _Just say it!_

"Look -- I know you have a job to do…" he stammered. But before he could finish the thought the gym shook with the sound of the alert klaxon sounding. DAMN!

I tried to give him my best "sorry but duty calls" look. "Speaking of which, time for me to go do it. See ya." With that I grabbed my towel and rushed past him to the locker room. The last thing I needed was to give Carter another excuse to chew me out. Once a day was plenty, thank you.

~*~

Dust and dirt flew everywhere as I skidded the Blazer to a halt outside the archaeology site. We all piled out of the vehicles as the dust settled back down, giving us our first view of the newest threat.

I knelt there, braced against a supply crate; blaster trained on the mutant as Carter came up behind me and addressed the creature.

"HALT! You're under arrest for trespassing on private property. Put the box down. **Now!**"

The mutant turned towards us. "You've got to be kidding," he sneered. As if on cue, all the robots, or cyclobots as I learned they were called, stopped their assault on the archaeologists and turned their attentions towards us. 

__

Good, I thought,_ leave the innocent alone. Come and get it you mechanical freaks._

"**FIRE!**" Carter yelled. More than happy to comply with the order, I opened fire. Like with Univolt, it seemed that our blasters had little effect on the mutant. He just casually swung his sword around, repelling the blasterfire. But eventually he missed and shots made it through and the mutant was pushed back.

Then, as if the mutant wasn't enough of a headache, the cyclobots attacked. Luckily they were not as impervious to our weapons as the mutant and they dropped like flies. I kept my blaster trained on the mutant and left the cyclobots to my fellow Guardians. 

Big mistake.

I heard a thump on the crate I was braced against. I looked up to see a cyclobot looking down at me.

"Shit!" I cried as I jumped back.

"Myers, duck!" I heard over my headset. Not taking the time to think, I hit the dirt. Blaster fire whizzed overhead and I heard the unmistakable sound of a cyclobot being blown to bits. I stood up and shook my head clear.

Carter's voice came over the headset. "Myers… Jamison, Morgenstern, Sims and Leibovicci are missing. They went to flank the mutant. Take Olivares with you and see if you can find them."

I pressed the button on the side of my headset. "Roger that." I turned to Olivares. "C'mon, let's go."

Cautiously we worked our way to the other side of the camp to see if we could find the others. I spotted them near a pile of cyclobot parts. All four looked worse for wear. I knelt behind a tent for cover. Pressing the talk button on my headset I contacted Carter. "Carter, this is Myers. Found them. Looks like they've seen some action. Will assist and get them back to the transport."

"Roger that. Be careful." 

I looked at Olivares and he nodded that he heard the conversation. I stood up to head over to the team. Suddenly a sharp pain ran across my lower back. "Aaaahhh!" I cried out, unconsciously dropping my blaster. I turned to see a cyclobot standing behind us, recovering from the kick he had just delivered to my kidneys. 

Together, Olivares and I lunged at the droid, slamming him into the ground. The sound of electronics shorting was a wonderful sound. The cyclobot twitched once and fell silent. As we scrambled to our feet, I saw that the missing team was making their way back to the vehicles. Unfortunately so did the mutant. Olivares and I rushed the creature to distract him.

Before we reached him though, a cyclobot appeared out of nowhere and cut off Olivares' attack, leaving me to face the mutant. I didn't give a second thought about taking on the creature alone. There was one of him and one of me. Sounded like good odds to me.

I sent a roundhouse kick into the mutant's arm. He didn't even flinch. Instead he used the pommel of his sword to bat me away like a mosquito. I flew through the air and landed…hard. I winced in pain as I felt the air get knocked out of me.

As my lungs started working again I looked up to see the mutant towering over me. "Silly human," he sneered. "You are **so** out of your league." And then he laughed. A good old fashioned maniacal laugh. All I could do was lay there and watch him raise his sword. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion.

The sword started to descend towards me. My life, as pathetic as it had been, flashed before my eyes. A blur of red. A second sword clashing with the first.

"Huh?" the mutant muttered, surprised by the intervention.

I couldn't help but second the statement. "Huh?"

I continued to lay there and watched the Red Ranger drove the mutant away. Once again Wes Collins had to protect me. How am I to get his respect if he keeps bailing me out of jams?

He offered me his hand. "Are you OK?"

My anger flared and I slapped his hand away. "I don't need **your** help!" I snapped and gingerly rose to my feet. Luckily it didn't feel like the mutant did any permanent damage to anything except my pride. I glanced once at Wes, thankful for the Ranger helmet's faceplate. I don't think I could have standed seeing the pity I knew had to have been in his eyes. Instead I ran after the mutant. 

__

Damn those meddling Rangers.

The one nice thing about these mutants - subtlety is not one of their stronger points. The thing left a trail Stevie Wonder could have followed and it wasn't long before I found him and the Pink Ranger fighting it out. I ducked behind the curve of one of the archeological trenches, waiting for the perfect moment for me to run in to the rescue and be the hero. 

"The Quantum Controller doesn't belong to you!" I heard the Ranger exclaim. "Give it **UP**!"

The mutant chuckled. "Don't make me laugh! You're **pathetic** Pink Ranger. Oh, you may **want** this box, but you aren't going to get it. **Or** its contents. Ransik is going to have the power of the Quantasaurus **AND** the Quantum Ranger!" 

__

Quantum Ranger? You mean there's more of them? And what the hell is a Quantasaurus? I wondered in some confusion._ It certainly wasn't a dinosaur I learned about back in elementary school._

And then in a totally childish tone he taunted. "And there's nothing you can do about it."

From my location I couldn't see the actual encounter, only hear it. Which was why I was surprised by the next exchange of conversation. "It'll take more than four of you to stop me!"

I then heard a thud as Wes' voice filled the air. "No problem!"

I couldn't stand not knowing what was happening. I looked around the corner in time to see a laser blast being fired, followed closely by a rather large explosion. Smoke and dirt filled the air as I dove for cover. _ At least we weren't fighting in trenches in Kosovo_, I thought to myself.

As the smoke settled I saw a black and silver box land at my feet. _That must be the Quantum Controller the Pink Ranger was talking about. I can't let that **thing** have control over a Ranger. The five of them working on their own is bad enough. But to have one under enemy control is just not acceptable._ I grabbed the box and took off before anyone knew what happened.

Keeping low, I made my way back towards the vehicles and the other Silver Guardians. Making sure I wasn't seen, I opened the back of the Blazer I had been driving and stuck the box in the cargo hold, hiding it behind some gear bags.

"Eric! Where are you! ERIIIIIC!" I heard Carter cry out. _Why didn't he just use the headsets?_

I walked around the vehicle. "I'm right here," I snapped.

"Where have you been?" Carter snarled as he spun towards me. "We've been trying to hail you for ten minutes."

I stood there glaring at him. "Gee, Carter, I was a little busy doing my **JOB**. You know… protecting our clients against the bad guys. Unlike some of us, I actually tried to stop that thing."

He winced. "Why didn't you answer us?" 

"Hard to answer when I didn't **hear** you." I then reached up and pulled my headset off my head. Sure enough, the antenna was broken. "Must have gotten broken during my run in with the mutant." I held the broken piece of equipment out for him to see.

Carter stood there and looked at the headset. Finally he just looked up at me. "Get in the car. We need to get the wounded back to base." I nodded, snapped him a salute that radiated insubordination and climbed into the car.

It didn't take us long to return to headquarters. As we piled out of the Blazer, Carter turned to me. "Eric, since you're the most fit of us, see to the equipment."

__

Fit my ass. You are just getting back at me. I know all the games. I've played them for years. "Yes, Sir!" I snapped as I threw him yet another salute and went to the back of the car.

I waited until everyone else was inside before I opened the hatch and pulled out the object that seemed to have been the center of attention back at the dig site.

"Those Rangers are going to want to get this back," I said to myself. "Well, if they want it, they are going to have to come to me for it. Finally I'll be seen as the savior." I knew I had to hide the thing so that none of the other Guardians would find it. Looking around I spotted a construction site not too far from headquarters. 

Perfect. There's always enough stuff lying around those places that one little box won't be noticed. I ran over, worked my way through a hole in the chain-link fencing and made my way to the site, moving carefully so that I wouldn't be seen by any of the contractors. Finding a place for the box was harder than I thought. Even though I knew I would be back later for it, I still didn't want to risk someone else finding it. Eventually I ended up climbing the stairs of the building and found a small corner where it would be safe.

Curiosity got the better of me and I had to see what the treasure inside was. I opened the box. Inside laid something that looked like a glorified rattrap… a box closed in on all but one side. Carefully I picked it up. _This was the oh-so-important gizmo? This thing controlled the Quantum Ranger…whatever the hell that was._ Then it dawned on me. Maybe this was the thing that **made** someone the Quantum Ranger. 

Intrigue overruled better judgement and I started to insert my hand into the opening in the box. Before I had gotten my hand in very far, I was zapped by something. My hand jerked and I dropped the box. Suddenly I was no longer standing on a construction site.

__

"How many troops are stationed outside Novask?" a voice demanded.

"Myers, Eric. Master Sergeant. 569-34-9032," I responded. 

"Wrong answer." 

Suddenly my entire body was on fire as they fed a live current to the electrodes taped to my chest. Pain. Searing pain. My body twitching. My voice screaming against my wishes.

Then, just quickly as memory came, it faded, leaving me shaken and sweating. I decided that right then would not be good to explore the depths of my psyche or the mysteries of the Quantum Ranger. I picked the Controller up and returned it to the box. I could investigate it later. I still had a vehicle to unload.

~*~

I walked into the locker room to freshen up. "Hey, Myers," I heard someone call out. I turned to see Ben Johnson walking towards me.

"Hey Ben, what's up?" I said heading towards my locker.

"Hear about Commander Porter?"

I shook my head. "No, been rather busy unloading and cleaning equipment."

Ben leaned against the locker next to mine. "He's out of commission."

I looked over at him. "How long?"

He shrugged. "Indefinitely. Broken ribs, ruptured spleen. He was hit really bad against that Univolt thing."

I blinked at him in disbelief. "So who's the new C.O.?"

"Beats me. There's a few of the senior Guardians who could easily get the position." He pushed off the locker. "Well, I gotta run." He clasped his hand on my shoulder. "See you around."

I nodded absentmindedly. "Yeah, se ya." I waited until he was no longer in sight before stripping out of my dirty and torn uniform and changing into a new one. I needed to find Mr. Collins.

~*~

Find him I did. He was talking with Carter.

__

Great. He's probably telling the boss all about my "insubordinate actions". Well screw him. He hasn't the faintest idea how to run a team, let alone coordinate and command a mission.

I came to a stop in front of Mr. Collins and snapped him the best salute I could. "Mr. Collins, **Sir**." He looked at me like I was scum. You would think that after all those years growing up with it, I would be immune to that look. I'm not. I tried my best to ignore it. "I understand that Commander Porter is out of commission. I'd like to request the assignment of leader of the Silver Guardians."

"And why should I give it to **you**?"

"There is **no one** more loyal and dedicated than I am. I fight as well as your son… the Red Ranger…if not **better**." I explained. 

He stood there for a minute giving me the once-over. "I need someone I can trust," he eventually said, confirming my suspicion on the topic of conversation before my arrival. He glanced over at Carter. "The team's yours. You're in charge."

Carter snapped to attention and saluted Mr. Collins. "Sir!" _Where the hell did he learn to salute like that? _

The boss turned back to me. "I don't know the first thing about you. Now if you will excuse me," he said and pushed past me, Carter hot on his heels. I saluted out of habit rather than respect.

As I lowered my hand I clenched it into a fist, trying to control my anger. _Carter? You gave command to **Carter**? He couldn't command his way out of a paper bag. Just wait. I'll prove to you who the leader **should** be._

I turned and stormed off. I needed some fresh air.

~*~

It felt like years had passed before my shift finally ended. But rather than head out through the front door, I exited out the back and headed back to where I had hidden the Quantum Controller. I wanted to examine it and figure out how it worked. 

I crawled through the hole in the fence and headed towards the stairs. But I found myself skidding to a halt. Cyclobots! Lots of them! If they were there it meant that the mutant thing, or one like him, couldn't be far behind. I couldn't let the Controller fall into enemy hands.

I reacted without thinking. I charged. 

"Hey metalheads!" As one, the cyclobots turned to look at me. All the years of martial arts and military training kicked in and I started kicking and throwing punches at the bots. Within moments the stairway was clear enough for me to climb it.

I only made it up a couple of flights before I ran into more. Dodge, parry, kick, grab, twist, throw. No more cyclobots. I finally reached the level where I had hidden the box. Unfortunately I had been wrong. There were more cyclobots. In fact they had found the Controller and had taken it out of the box it had been in.

Luckily the robodrones aren't programmed with much of intelligence. The minute they saw me, the dropped the Controller and attacked. It didn't take much to rid myself of them. As soon as the last one went sailing down the stairs, I ran for the Controller. Carefully I picked it up, inspecting it to make sure it hadn't been damaged. 

I sighed in relief, having not found any outward damage to it, and turned around. Only to come face to face with two blaster wielding cyclobots. Unfortunately my hands were full and I couldn't reach for my own weapon. Instinctively I took a step backward, which was mirrored by a step forward by the bots. We continued the dance until I felt the safety rail against my back, telling me that any further and I would be falling to certain pain, if not death.

__

Great now what?

"Hey bolt-brains!" I heard. I sighed in relief, help had arrived. I looked up and saw my rescuer flatten the cyclobots and had to fight the urge not to groan.

"Wes?" I asked even though I knew who it was. No one else was the Red Ranger. Once again Wes rides in to save the day. _What wrong did I commit in a past life to be stuck with this on-going cycle as my karmic-payback?_

He reached for me. "Eric…"

I clutched the Controller closer to my chest and shook my head. It was mine. "You're going to say 'give me the box'. Ain't gonna happen, Wes."

His body language told me that he wasn't surprised by my answer. He squared up his shoulders in determination. "You don't know what you have. Please… just give me the box and get to safety."

__

Me get to safety? You're the one with no formal training outside of the few semesters of karate you took in P.E. I shook my head. "Uh-uh. Not a chance."

He took a step towards me. "Please," he begged. It was the first time in all the years that I had known him that I had heard him actually say that word. It sounded foreign coming from him. But I couldn't give it to him. I couldn't risk the kind of power I had a feeling the Controller contained falling into the wrong hands.

__

Maybe this thing would make **me** the Quantum Ranger. If I were a Ranger, then I would know that there would be someone who knew what they were doing working with them. And if **I** were the Quantum Ranger, no one would treat me like dirt. I would have their respect.

Bracing myself for the shock I knew would come, I slid my hand into the box. This time, however, there was no shock. Just a warm, tingling sensation that worked its way up my arm to surround me. The box began to vibrate and suddenly disappeared in a flash of light.

When my vision cleared I could see a devise strapped to my wrist. While it didn't look like the ones the other Rangers had, somehow knew exactly what it was… it was a morpher. The Quantum Morpher. I was the Quantum Ranger!

"Nonono…Eric please. Don't…" Wes begged. I looked up at him. I could tell by the way he was standing that he was hurt, but more importantly I could hear in his voice how upset he was. He was realizing that I didn't need him to ride to my rescue. I wasn't some welfare charity case who needed protection against the rumor mills and stuck-up cliques of high school.

"Jealous?" I asked him. 

His head jerked in surprise. "**What**?" He shook his head. "Eric, this isn't about us… what you think I think about you… or what you think about me." 

I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to tell him that he hadn't the faintest idea of what I thought about him. How much I missed his friendship and company. How it had hurt to walk away all those years ago. I wanted to tell him how much I envied the fact that he had a father who obviously cared about him. How much I had wanted to be just like him. But I couldn't. Sharing my thoughts and feelings was not something I had been good at. So instead I just stood there.

"You **don't **know what you're getting yourself into. Please don't do this," he continued.

__

Don't know what I'm getting into. My friend, if you only had an idea of what kind of hell I've been living the last two years, you would realize just what a stupid thing you are staying. Compared to what I've faced, anything that can happen now would just be a walk in the park. No, **you** have no idea what you are talking about. And I really wish I could tell you. But I don't want your pity.

"And who's going to stop me?" I looked at him, making my gaze obvious. "You? You can't hardly stand, let alone stop me."

He stood up as straight as his injuries would let him. "I **can** stop you," he insisted.

I just smiled at him and shook my head. "Not this time, pal." I lifted the morpher to my mouth and called out "Quantum power!" How I knew what to say I had no idea - I just did.

The world grew silent as the morpher on my wrist began to shake and let out a blinding light. The faint smell of ozone filled the air and I felt every hair on my body stand on end. My heart started beating rapidly, my breathing came in short, shallow gasps and I broke out in a sweat. Suddenly a warm rush ran over me and my skin began to tingle. The light from the morpher grew even brighter and I had to close my eyes against it.

When the light died, I opened my eyes and gasped in surprise. I was looking out of a visor unlike anything I had seen before. I saw digital readouts as well as my surroundings.

I looked down and saw that I was dressed as a Ranger. The Red Ranger to be precise. Only it wasn't the same. Where Wes was dressed in red and white, my uniform seemed to be red and black. I was just like him. Only different. Stronger. Better.

"Eric…is that you?" I heard him ask.

I opened my mouth to say something when a something appeared on my heads-up display. 

MUTANT ACTIVITY, the readout said, accompanied by a map indicating the location of the mutant. The mutant was just outside, doubtless looking for the Quantum Controller.

I didn't have time to waste talking with Wes. I had a job to do. I turned and vaulted over the guardrail to land on some scaffolding. I looked around and saw the mutant engaged with the rest of the Rangers.

Another readout appeared. MUTANT IDENTIFICATION: BRICKNECK. So the thing had a name. Not that it mattered. It didn't need a name to become history.

From the distance I was to the thing, I couldn't hear what it was saying. I didn't really care. It had its rifle trained on the Rangers. Finally I would be the cavalry. I reached down for my blaster, even as I did so, I was telling myself that it was a stupid move…Rangers don't carry blasters. But my hand hit something. I took hold of it and looked at it. A blaster. Well the Time Force Rangers might not carry blasters, but apparently the Quantum Ranger did. 

I leveled my blaster, aiming it at Brickneck's weapon. Slowly I squeezed the trigger. A burst of energy fired from my blaster and hit its target. Bull's-eye! Time to show these mutants that there was a new sheriff in town.

Casually I leaned against the scaffolding's rail and tapped my blaster on the back of my hand. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the mutant and the other Rangers turn to look at me. Ever so nonchalantly I walked down the stairs of the scaffolding.

As I neared the bottom, Brickneck took several steps towards me.

"Huh? **Another** Time Force Ranger?" he asked credulously.

I grinned behind my faceplate. "Listen and learn, Brickneck. I'm not just **any** Ranger. Not by a long shot. I'm the **Quantum Ranger**!"

"I don't care what **you** call yourself," Brickneck scoffed. "I call you **destroyed.** Cyclobots, attack!"

With the command, more cyclobots appeared. I had to laugh. If I was able to stop those things BEFORE I became the Quantum Ranger, they would be a piece of cake now. "Give me a break," I laughed as I aimed my blaster, or as the readouts in my visor called it -Quantum Defender, and fired. It was like shooting fish in a barrel.

But I didn't become the Quantum Ranger to stand off on the sidelines taking potshots at robots. I wanted action! I jumped off the stairs and did a flying summersault through the air, landing perfectly on my feet.

As I landed, I called out, "Computer, access strategy." I might have been trained in hand-to-hand combat and stuff, but every little bit helps.

A pleasant sounding female voice spoke inside my helmet. "Recommend Blaster Mode," the computer answered and showed a schematic of the Quantum Defender indicating a button on the side of the weapon.

I raised the Defender so I could see it, pressed the button and called out "Quantum Defender, Blaster Mode." For some reason I knew that the thing was partially voice activated, though I had not been told. Maybe the knowledge came as part of the morphing process. 

My defender changed before my eyes into a larger weapon. I looked up from the blaster to find myself surrounded by cyclobots. I raised the blaster and fired, spinning in a circle. The cyclobots dropped and soon the buzzing and twitching remains of the robodrones surrounded me.

Unfortunately more advanced my way. _Need to stop them_, I thought. No sooner had I thought it than I did it. The powers of the Quantum Ranger had enhanced my natural speed and agility 100 fold. I was moving so fast that even I was having trouble following my movements.

I looked up to see even more cyclobots marching into view. My heads-up display showed my Defender again and instructed: BLADE MODE. Not one to pass up a good suggestion, I pushed the button again and cried out "Blade Mode, **now**!"

The Quantum Defender morphed again into a nasty looking sword. But it was better than any sword I had ever seen. Moments later the newest bunch of bots joined the other on the scrap pile.

Adrenaline poured through my system as I turned to Brickneck. _This ends here and now, _I thought as I launched myself at him. He apparently had the same idea I did and we met while airborne, our weapons clashing and scraping against each other.

We landed and began to circle each other. "You may have been able to defeat the cyclobots, but you are **no** match for **me!**" He sneered as he pulled his rifle. I saw the action coming and flung myself backwards, changing my blade back into a blaster as I did so. 

We fired simultaneously. He missed. I didn't. I didn't score marksman back in the marines for nothing. Brickneck began to wail in agony. It was music to my ears. As I stood I watched him fall to the ground, clutching his chest.

Suddenly my morpher beeped. "Quantum Ranger," the computer said, "recommend Freeze Strike Mode, to complete mission."

"Sounds good to me," I agreed. Pushing the control button one last time, I changed the Defender again. Once again I held the sword, but it was different. It radiated freezing cold. Letting out a battle cry, I charged at Brickneck, who was slowly rising to his feet.

He tried to defend himself. Tried. But I was able to easily parry past his blade and bring mine crashing into his shoulder. He cried out in pain as his body began to twitch. I took a step back and faced the Rangers. I had the huge rush of satisfaction as the mutant exploded behind me. 

****

I had saved the day. Me, lowly Eric Myers. Not so lowly any more. 

The computer spoke up one more time. "Cryogenic freeze reconfiguration complete." Yep, I did it. 

Leaving the now frozen mutant where he lay, I walked towards the rest of the Rangers. I stopped when I saw Wes advancing on me. He stopped about twelve paces away from me.

"Eric?" He asked. "Are you all right?"

That was **what** I had expected him to say. I stopped and did a quick self-assessment. "Oh yeah," I chuckled. "Never been better."

__

TO BE CONTINUED…


	5. Power Play

Series Title: Never Saw Me There

Chapter Title: Power Play

Rating: PG-13

A/N: This takes place during the episode "Clash for Control". It is loosely based on the chapter "Control Issues" in the story _Identity_ by Rach. Any deviation from Time Force is to remain consistent with the world created by Rach or to bring some consistency to Grand Cannon sized holes in plot lines and logic.

Thank you: once again to Rach… a wonderful person, the bestest beta a writer could ever have…I'm not worthy. Thank you for letting me play in your world. Now I understand why it took you so long to write chapter 9. 

*******************

"You can forget it. The Quantum Morpher is **mine**," I told them, gripping my left wrist tightly. The five of them just stood there staring at me. Originally I had planned on handing over the Quantum Controller to them, after making them sweat for a few days, making them _need_ me. But that was before I became the Quantum Ranger. Now that I had experienced the rush and satisfaction that came from a job well done, I was not about to just give it all up.

The Ice Queen…err… Jen, folded her arms across her chest and glared at me. "You don't understand the power it has." 

__

I don't understand the power it has? I don't understand? I'm not some imbecile, lady. I am fully aware of the power. I **experienced** the power. "Oh, trust me, I understand. **Much** more than you think I do," I snapped at her. Then just for the final jab, "Or you ever will." 

I had spent the majority of the night before as the Quantum Ranger, reading the computer readouts of what being the Quantum Ranger meant. I knew all the things I was now capable of and all the cool toys that came with the job. I knew exactly what I had.

Wes looked over at the Ice Queen…er… Jen and they shared a moment. That was when I realized what they really wanted. They didn't want the _RANGER_they wanted what came with the Ranger. And they couldn't have it unless I gave it to them.

I felt a smile creep to my lips. "That's right. Once I get control of the Q-Rex, the sky's the limit." I looked up for emphasis. As I did so, I saw a flash of light in the sky over city hall and weird swirling disk appeared. 

"A time hole," I heard Trip hiss. I turned to look at him. "Ransik must be going for the Quantasaurus!"

A wave of protectiveness, tinged with anger swept over me. "No-one is getting the Quantasaurus but **me**," I stated. Neither expecting nor wanting a response from the others, I didn't give them the chance to say anything. Instead I quickly morphed and summoned one of the "toys" that came with being the Quantum Ranger. "TF Eagle!" I shouted into my morpher.

I had no clue where it had come from, but within moments a small jet like vehicle streaked through the sky and gently landed next to me. The hatch opened and I climbed into the cockpit. As I sat down, digital readouts appeared inside my visor providing me operating instructions for the TF Eagle.

A few button pushes and a few lever flicks later, the onboard computer informed me, "Charging turbines for time travel." Carefully I guided the small craft to the edge of the building and waited for the final stages of the power-up process so that I could head to the time hole and fetch **my** property.

Just as the little light on the dashboard gave me the all clear, the Eagle bobbled and I heard a thud to my right. There on the wing crouched the Red Ranger. "Wes! What the hell are you doing?" I demanded.

"Going with you," he replied, his voice indicating that I had asked a stupid question for which the answer should have been obvious. 

I shrugged. "Suit yourself. You might want to hold on." I didn't give him the chance to say or doing anything else. I gave the engine a burst of power and we took off through the time hole.

A bright flash of light enveloped us as we entered the time hole. The next instant we were no longer high above the city of Silverhills. Instead all I saw was the lush vegetation of some kind of rain forest. I was taken, momentarily, with just how beautiful and serene it all looked.

A pained groan halted any further appreciation of our surroundings. I looked to my right to see Wes go limp and fall off the Eagle. "Wes!" I cried as I sat there helpless to do anything but watch my friend tumble to the ground. 

I quickly found a clearing to land in. I demorphed as I scrambled out of the cockpit and took off in the direction I saw Wes fall. _Oh God, don't be dead! Please be alive,_ I thought as I fought my way through the underbrush. 

As I ran, a large shadow passed over me. I looked up and skidded to a halt. I stood there staring up, shock and surprise keeping me from moving. What I had first mistaken for a large bird circled lower and I got a better look at it. That was no bird. It was a pterodactyl. _I don't think we're in Kansas anymore. _

A very human groan rose from some nearby ferns. Wes! I carefully made my way in the direction I heard the groan. I broke through the cover to see Wes sitting up, his back to me.

"**When** am I?"

A huge grin came to my lips. He was alive! I wanted to run over and embrace him in relief. But that urge was quickly squashed by the memories of the looks of derision I had received from him and his…friends.

"Well, I'm no paleontologist," I said, "but my guess is that we've gone back about a hundred and fifty million years. Give or take."

I just stood there and watched him gingerly get to his feet. I saw him wince in pain. He may be alive, but he was rather worse for wear. _Well, serves him right for hitching a ride._ I just shook my head, turned and walked away. Now that I knew he was alive, and more or less intact, I had other things to do. Retrieving the Q-Rex for one.

I heard him follow me. "You know something," I called back over my shoulder. "I had pegged you as smarter than this."

I heard him stop walking. "What?" he asked absentmindedly. I paused and turned to see that his attention was not on me, but rather the impressive sight of a Stegosaurus in a nearby clearing. I had to admit that it was a rather stunning sight. But if we allowed ourselves to get distracted by every dino that we saw, the mission was not going to get completed and we would most likely find ourselves dead before long.

I reached out and touched his shoulder. "This," I commented, bringing his attention back to me. "This was **stupid**, Wes." He winced in pain. I realized I had touched one of his many bruises and removed my hand. 

"What was?" he asked as he rubbed his sore shoulder.

I sighed; he was being dense. "**Following **me here."

Wes blinked at me, as if just realizing how stupid his actions really had been. He shook his head as if to clear it. "Look -- you're not the only one here for the Quantasaurus," he said.

__

Well, duh. I didn't exactly create that time hole myself.

"Ransik's sent a mutant and…"

Another wave of possessiveness surged through me. I grabbed Wes' shirtfront. "I'm gonna get the Q-Rex. **Not** some mutant. And I **don't** need your help!" My anger got the better of me and I shoved him away. 

He took several unstable steps backwards before landing awkwardly on his back with a small "Oof." I started to take a step forward to apologize for taking my frustration out on him when the ground shook.

__

That was too short to be an earthquake. I have a very bad feeling about this.

"Eric…" I heard Wes start to speak.

"Shh!" I hissed. I was trying to locate the source of the rumbling I heard. I felt myself blanch as I looked up and over Wes to see the biggest lizard I had ever seen. Those stupid field trips to the science museums to see the dinosaur bones never made me realize just how BIG or SCARY they really were. After all, how terrifying can a big pile of bones be? When the bones are surrounded by muscle and skin… VERY terrifying. 

The dinosaur…a T-Rex if I had to guess… looked down at us and roared. That was all that was needed to shock me out of my inability to move. "Run!" I cried as I bent down and hauled Wes to his feet. I ran in the opposite direction of the giant lizard, pulling Wes behind me by his shirt.

Eventually Wes managed to move on his own accord. I let go of him and we high-tailed it through the brush. I have no idea how far we ran, but I was imminently grateful for the fact that I still maintained the strict work out regimen I had followed back in my days as a marine, otherwise I don't think I would have been able to run as far or as fast without getting winded.

Winded… suddenly I thought of Wes. He wasn't exactly in prime shape and his injuries didn't make that condition any better. I risked looking back long enough to see him keeping pace right behind me. Yeah adrenaline – ya gotta love it.

We kept running. The whole way I prayed that we would be able to say ahead of the monster until we could find cover. If one of us stumbled, the other picked him up and kept going. Covering each other's backs. Just like friends do. Just like old times.

My stroll down memory lane came to an abrupt end when our avenue of escape dead-ended with a very dense wall of vegetation.

"Shit," I muttered. "There has got to be a way through this." I frantically began searching for a way out.

Suddenly I felt Wes shove me, sending me to the ground. I looked up to see the massive jaws of the dino positioned where I had been standing only moments before. Wes had saved my life.

I looked past the huge legs of the dino to see Wes leaning against a nearby tree, stunned. He did not look good. A disgruntled snort from the dinosaur brought my thoughts back to the situation at hand. If I wasn't more careful, I was likely to end up a snack.

I rose to my feet and began to slowly walk backwards, hoping, praying not to come to the creatures attention. No such luck. One large eyeball swiveled and locked onto me. I gulped. I felt rooted to the spot as I watched the dinosaur raise its head, obviously preparing to strike.

I closed my eyes and waited for the end. But it didn't come. Instead my salvation came in the form of a much-abused Wes, who had dived across to me to drag me out of the dinosaur's reach.

I lay there a moment dazed and confused. I looked over to see Wes shaking his head as I to clear his vision. _He's really hurt. I gotta get him out of here._ I then looked over to see the dinosaur with a mouthful of leaves, obviously miffed at missing its prey. It roared its protest.

"Crap!" Wes exclaimed. "C'mon - get up…" he snapped at me. "We gotta go!" I nodded and gratefully took his offered hand in help. Within seconds, the chase had resumed. 

This time, Wes led the way, with me blindly following. Which, proved to be a mistake on my part as it was only quick reflexes that kept me from falling over the edge of the cliff he had led us to. I felt him grab my hand and pull me back away from the precipice. It wasn't until after I was a couple steps away from the edge that my heart and lungs started functioning again.

Behind us the dinosaur roared. We turned together to look behind us. If possible, the dinosaur looked arrogant as he slowly approached us. It was obvious that he thought we weren't going anywhere. I had to agree with him.

"We're toast," I commented dryly.

"Not if we make it to that cave," Wes shot back. I looked over at him, confused.

"What cave?"

He pointed towards the nearby bluffs. "Over there. I think we can make it."

Memories of small dark places flooded my brain. I shook my head to drive them away. "And get pinned in there?" I retorted.

Wes snorted. "It's gotta be better than becoming prehistoric lunch! Besides -- it would give us a chance to morph and get the hell away from that thing."

He had a point. "Well, when you put it that way…" I said and bolted for the mouth of the cave. I just ran, not looking behind me assuming that Wes was right behind me. I dove and somersaulted into the cave as I landed. I scrambled as far back into the cave as I could, which wasn't very far and placed my back to the wall. I looked out, expecting to see Wes join me.

"C'mon, Wes," I muttered. Just before I heard the dinosaur roar, I thought I had heard a scream. "Oh, God. Please don't be dead. WES!" Instinct took over and I started to crawl back out of my cover, intent of finding my friend. 

But a large shadow passed over the mouth of the cave, reminding me what was waiting just outside. A loud roar rocked the area and I scrambled back under cover. Just as my back hit the wall, I was faced with rows and rows of VERY sharp teeth.

The sight of the huge reptilian head in the small cave opening caused me to panic. Normally I'm not scared of lizards, but there are **always** exceptions. 

"Goawaygoawaygoawaygoawaygoawaygoaway!" I screamed as I flailed my feet and kick out at the monster. I kept kicking, the adrenaline pounding through my system, until eventually the massive head retreated. I didn't know if I had actually hit something to hurt it or it just got tired of trying to reach me, and frankly I didn't care. I just sat there, gasping for breath, relieved that I had managed not to be eaten.

Eaten…WES! 

I carefully stuck my head out of the cave and looked around. I sighed when I saw no sign of the dinosaur. I stepped out and started searching the area for any signs of my friend. Suddenly my morpher beeped. I raised it up so that I could hear it.

"Quantasaurus location identified," the pleasant female voice said.

"Great," I exclaimed. I pushed the proper button on the morpher and shouted, "Quantum Power!" Moments later I was looking out of the Quantum Ranger's visor and seeing a head's up display of the layout of the local terrain.

"Identify location of Red Ranger," I instruct the computer. Instantly a new display is show showing where Wes was. It was moving. So either he was inside the belly of the beast or he was alive. "Superimpose over location of Quantasaurus Rex." The computer complied.

I sighed in relief. Wes and the Q-Rex were in close proximity to each other. I could find Wes and the Q-Rex and not have to back track. I smiled and ran off in search of my friend as well as my property. 

~*~

When I arrived at the location that I had been told to find Wes and the Q-Rex, I found the Red Ranger slowly rising to his feet. "Gotta...stop him..." I heard him mutter. Suddenly all reason left me. 

__

Where does he get off thinking he can stop me from getting the Q-Rex? The Q-Rex only answers to the Quantum Ranger. And that would be **me**! He can have anything he wants, why can't he let me have what is mine?

I reached for the Quantum Defender and fired in his direction, intentionally missing him. I stood there, Defender aimed, watching him.

He turned towards me and I could hear him gasp. "Eric?" he asked disbelieving. 

__

Who else would it be? Not like there are any other humans but the two of us in this time period.

"And just where do you think you're going?" I asked him. I winced slightly at the arrogant tone of my voice. Luckily he couldn't see my facial expressions behind my visor.

He pointed into a nearby cave. "There's a mutant in there – we gotta stop him before he gets the Q-Rex."

I kept the Defender trained on Wes and whispered to the computer, "Locate mutant DNA."

Seconds later the computer replied "No mutant DNA located." 

I shook my head at Wes, amazed that he would lie to me to keep me from retrieving my property. "Uh-uh. You're not going anywhere. No-one gets the Q-Rex but me." 

Wes groaned in exasperation and rolled his eye at me. "Ransik's gonna get him if we don't get in there." He stepped towards me. I fired again. _You are not stopping me from completing this mission. I don't care who you are or what we used to be. _I ordered the Defender in blade mode and charged at him. I didn't want to hurt him, just scare him enough to leave me alone and to let me retrieve what was mine.

I had to give him credit... he tried to fight against me. But it was obvious his injuries were just too bad for him to put up more than a token resistance. Soon he was on his knees in front of me. With the Defender back in Blaster Mode, I stood over him, unsure of what to do next. I couldn't kill him. He meant too much to me to do that. But I couldn't let him stop me either.

But before I could figure out what to do, I heard two, very loud noises. I looked up to see the volcano we were near starting to erupt. I then looked behind me for the source of the other sound to see a time hole open up.

"Oh no! A time hole!" I couldn't let that mutant leave with my Q-Rex. I took off into the jungle, back to the TF Eagle, to stop the creature.

As I hopped into the vehicle and started to power up my conscience started up.

__

What the hell are you doing, Myers? You can't leave him here. He saved your ass. If it weren't for him you'd be dino chow right now. On this mission he's your partner. Go back and get him, Myers! Remember what your drill instructor said? Rule number one... **NEVER** LEAVE A MAN BEHIND!

Glancing up at the time hole, I maneuvered the TF Eagle through the jungle and back to where I had left Wes. I arrived just in time to see the ground give out beneath him and watch him plummet down towards a large river of lava. I guided the TF Eagle under Wes and managed to catch him with one of the wings.

I popped the hatch long enough to reach over and haul him up into a more secure position. "Now we're even," I told him.

I could hear his smile in his voice. "Thanks Eric."

I just grunted some kind of noncommittal answer and secured myself back into the vehicle. "Just hold tight," I advised him and we headed up and through the time portal.

The trip back wasn't as hair-raising as the first trip. Maybe that was because I knew what to expect while traveling through time, maybe it was because I was that much more experienced handling the Eagle, maybe it was because it was the trip home. I didn't really care.

I never thought I would be glad to see the skyline of Silverhills. But I was wrong. The view I saw as we cleared the time hole was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Home. There is no more wonderful word in the English language.

I flew the TF Eagle close to a building and, when I was only a few meters above a rooftop, I banked hard.

"Last stop – everybody off," I said as Wes spilled off the wing. I knew he had been battered and bruised and that the tumble would not help his injuries, but I had a Quantasaurus to retrieve. Besides, he had friends who could patch him back together. 

Lucky him.

~*~

Retrieving the Quantasaurus was not as simple as I had thought. I figured I'd just ride in on my white steed, say a couple fancy words and claim the dragon for my prize. No such luck. The mutant was using some kind of scrambler device to block my commands to the Q-Rex and was using the zord to destroy the city. And all I could do was stand there and watch. It was all my fault. All because my stupid pride and jealousy. And all I could to was stand there and watch the other Rangers fought to restrain the zord that should have been mine; that I should have been able to control. I failed - as a soldier and as a Ranger.

As the battle ended, I demorphed and headed back to my vehicle. As I climbed behind the wheel I glanced at my watch and realized that if I didn't hurry I was going to be late for the meeting I had scheduled with Mr. Collins.

Upon returned to headquarters, I raced to Mr. Collins' office to be greeted by his personal secretary. No one knew her name and all I had ever heard her referred to was "The Dragon Lady", and judging by the expression she was wearing I could easily see where the nickname came from. She gave me the "you're late" glare and let me into Mr. Collin's office.

He looked up at me as I walked in and saluted him. "Ah, Myers. Come in. I understand you have some concerns regarding the leadership of the Silver Guardians." He did not offer me a seat, nor did I take one automatically. I merely stood there before him, at full attention and nodded.

"Yes, Sir, I do." I stated flatly. 

I watched as an eyebrow raised. "You have a problem with the way Carter is running things? I don't think you are exactly in a position to determine who is best to lead the Guardians. You've only been with the organization…" he glanced down at a piece of paper on his desk, "a couple months. I honestly don't see how this is any of your concern."

I tried to level my best, "you don't know what you are talking about" gaze at him. "Frankly, Sir, I don't see how it is NOT my concern. I am a Silver Guardian. I signed a contract to protect this city. How can I do that to the best of my abilities under faulty leadership?" I sighed and took a slight step towards him. 

"Don't get me wrong, Sir. Carter is a fine Guardian. But he's not a leader. He has trouble thinking under stressful situations. And that's exactly what we face when we leave this building. You need someone leading the Silver Guardians who can keep a calm head under fire. Someone who has experienced command situations before."

He looked up at me with a rather incredulous look on his face. "And I suppose you are saying that that somebody is you?"

I nodded slightly. "I have commanded units under intense situations. I have military training in logistics, tactics and strategy. I can improvise under pressure. I am the man for the job."

The corner of his mouth twitched into something akin to a smile. I wasn't sure if I had amused him my bravado or he was just amused in general. "Honestly, Myers. There are others with more seniority than you within the Guardians who I could pick to replace Carter…**should **I see the need to."

I nodded in agreement. "I understand that, Sir. But I do have one qualification that I know that they don't have."

That piqued his interest. "And that being?"

I raised my right wrist. "I'm the Quantum Ranger." I had to give him credit. The look of shock and surprise only lasted a moment, before his face returned to the impassive stone that I was used to seeing. 

I took a breath and continued. "The one thing that has prevented the Guardians from fulfilling their mission to protect this city is the existence of the Time Force Rangers. Just when the Guardians get the mutants cornered, in they come and claim all the glory and praise. No one is going to take the Silver Guardians serious unless you have a Ranger leading them. The public needs the visual trigger. When they think mutants, they think Rangers. So you need a Ranger on your payroll to act as the spokesperson. Luckily you **do **have a Ranger. So you see, Sir. There is no one better qualified to lead the Silver Guardians than I am."

I returned to full attention and watched him lean back in his chair and swivel it. He looked over his shoulder at me, a cryptic smile on his face. "I agree with you. Having a Ranger lead the Silver Guardians would be the best of both worlds. Yes, they should be led by a Ranger. But not necessarily you."

It was only due to years of learning to school my face into marble that I didn't let him see my reaction. _What the hell do you mean, not by me? What other Ranger is going to willingly work for you? What more do I have to do to prove to you and the others that I can do this?_

He spun his chair around so that his back was to me. I took advantage of his position to glare at him while I stood there quietly, waiting for him to continue. "No, I plan to have four more Rangers on my team." He turned to face me. "Rangers that **control** Megazords." He said to answer my silent question.

I narrowed my eyes and met his gaze. "And if I get control over the Quantasaurus?"

A smile grew across his face. "Now that would be impressive." 

I nodded as an understanding passed between us. I snapped him a salute, turned on my heel and strode out of the office. Now I had even more incentive to get my property back.

__

I'll show them who should be running things.

~*~

I had just entered the locker room, intent on having a good workout, when reception paged me. All the ninny would tell me was that I had a visitor. Couldn't even be bothered to get a name. No that would have been helpful now wouldn't it? Especially because I couldn't think of anyone who would come to see just me. It's not like I had any friends in this city. 

I walked down the stairs to see Wes sitting in the lobby, obviously waiting for someone. Me, presumably. My first reaction was a smile. My friend had finally come to see and talk to me. But then I felt the weight on my wrist and I glanced down at my morpher. _No, he wouldn't have come for a friendly, catch-up session. He's gonna asked for it back. Well he can go take a flying leap if he thinks that's gonna happen._

I walked up behind him and took fiendish delight in watching him jump when I spoke. "You've got a lot of nerve coming here." 

He jumped out of his seat and turned to face me. It looked like wanted to say something but changed his mind at the last moment. "We need to talk," he finally said.

I stood there and remained impassive. "We do, do we?" Damn that sounded snide, even to me. But I was scared. I didn't want to hurt him. I didn't want to be hurt. But my pride was on the line and my pride was the only thing of any value that I had left. 

Wes stood there and held his ground. He met my gaze and nodded. "Yeah, we do." His eyes flicked around to scan the surroundings. "Not here."

__

It's not exactly like I got an office we can adjourn to, Collins. My mind ran through the activities schedule that had been posted for the day and I remembered that the practice yard would be unoccupied at the moment.

I smirked at him and nodded. "OK, this way," I said to him, and led him through the building to the yard out back. I turned to him and crossed my arms. "Now, what's so important?"

He stood there for a moment before taking a deep breath. _Am I really that scary to talk to, Wes? You used to be able to talk to me about anything. Come on buddy, talk to me. I can take it. _

"The Q-Rex will be back any time now," he stated. I nodded to indicate that I had thought of it. "We think we can get control over it with the Quantum Morpher." 

__

Damn I was right. He didn't come to see me. He just came back for a THING. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck bristle as I grew defensive. 

"No deal. Besides, what makes you think you can get control of the Q-Rex with this, if I can't." I tapped the morpher on my wrist. "You just don't want me to be the Quantum Ranger. Admit it," I snapped.

He stood there staring at me in disbelief. "That's not what this is all about," he protested.

I wasn't buying it. "Suuuuuure. Admit it Collins, it really burns you up to see me with as much power as you." I was mad. I was beyond mad. Here I thought he was my friend. But in the end he was just as much of the power hungry rich kid as those jerks back in high school were. I thought he was different. Stupid me. You can take the boy out of the boardroom, but you can't take the boardroom out of the boy. 

He continued to protest. "Eric, this isn't about me. Or you."

I just shrugged. "You keep telling yourself that and maybe one day you'll believe it. Anyway, it soon won't matter what you think."

That got him. "What?"

I slowly took a step forward and smiled at him. "Pretty soon, **I'll** be leading the Time Force Rangers." He just stood there blinking at me. The stunned look on his face was priceless. Damn, I wish I had had a camera for it. Classic Kodak moment.

Eventually he managed to get his brain and mouth to start working again. "What are you talking about?"

I couldn't keep the derision and sarcasm out of my voice. "Oh that's right, you didn't know." 

He shook his head. "Know what?"

A smile crept to my lips as I pointed to my chest. "Your dad's gonna hire the other Rangers to join me and the Silver Guardians. I'm gonna be their leader." 

Wes stood there and blinked at me before he burst out in laughter. He actually laughed at me. "That's ridiculous," he said between gasps for breath. "You have **got** to be kidding. They would never work for my father."

__

Just because you wouldn't, Wes, doesn't mean others won't.

I smirked back at him. "Are you sure? They only want one thing, right? To catch Ransik. And with your dad's money and technology behind them, they'll do it a whole lot faster." I could see in his eyes that he wanted to protest but didn't have the ground to do it. "You never thought about that did you? You only thought about yourself." I rolled my eyes. "Typical, spoiled, rich kid. The truth is, your friends would be better off without you."

I knew I had gone too far with that last bit, but it was too late to take anything back. I stood there, leaning against the fence, crossed my arms and watched him. I watched as every emotion humanly possible swept across his face and eyes. He was taking what I said to heart.

He eventually looked up at me and held out his hand. "I came here for the morpher."

I had to give him credit. He stuck to his guns, despite the fact that I had just been a major dick towards him. However, that wasn't going to get me to just hand the item over. I stood up and looked hard at him.

"You want it? You're gonna have to take it from me."

"If that's the way it has to be," he said and flung himself at me. I honestly didn't expect him to resort to violence. He never struck me as the type. He always looked for a peaceful way out before fighting.

He took me by surprise and managed to land several good blows before I managed to get myself together and morph. Wes still had the advantage… he surprised me, he was on a mission, and it was obvious that he was pissed off. But the other thing that was obvious to me…he was still hurting pretty badly. He just didn't move like a man in peak condition.

My military training took over and I looked for a weakness in his style and manipulated it. In this instance… I kicked him, hard, in his ribs. He let out a pained "oof" before falling backwards and passed out momentarily.

I started to take a step forward, to see if he was OK, when the other Rangers arrived. I just stood there and watched them swarm over Wes. Genuine concern for their friend and teammate showing.

Noting the time, I realized that they had already talked to Mr. Collins and a smile crept further onto my face. I couldn't resist slipping back into old habits. Instantly, Master Sergeant Myers was back. "Fall in line!" I commanded as I stepped forward. "He's not on your team anymore."

One of the Rangers…Lucas, looked up at me and sneered. "Oh, you didn't hear?" 

__

Hear what? I asked silently.

"We told Mr. Collins we weren't interested in his offer," Katie supplied.

And then Trip piped up. "Yeah. We like or team just the way it is."

I stood there, blinking at them, grateful that my visor hid my stunned expression. _You're saying no to state of the art technology? You're saying no to corporate backing? You're turning it all down for **one** person?_ I glanced down to Wes. _Must be nice to have loyal friends like that._

I shook my head and merely told them, "You'll regret this." And a small part of me actually believed it too. That they'd go back to their little clubhouse in the clock tower and think about it and realize what they were throwing away. But in reality, I knew that they wouldn't. The team meant everything to them. It was then that I truly felt alone. 

I was stunned and speechless. I didn't even notice when Jen said something to me. All I could do was stand there and watch them help Wes to his feet and carry him away.

What brought me back to my senses was hearing their computer announce that the Q-Rex was back. I watched them scramble to take action.

I took off in another direction, determined to get there first. The Q-Rex was mine and no little neighborhood watch club was going to stop me from getting it back.

~*~

I felt helpless as I stood on a rooftop and could do nothing but watch as the Rangers' Megazord battled against the Q-Rex. Nothing I did brought it under my control. Every time I tried, the stupid Quantum Morpher would pleasantly tell me "Voice Command blocked." But the repeated tellings didn't stop me from trying.

"**Q-REX**! Obey my commands!" I shouted into my morpher. Nothing happened. The zord only continued to battle against the Shadow Force Megazord. "Quantasaurus Rex! I **ORDER** you to stop!"

The computer beeped and politely said, "Voice Commands blocked. Deactivate control device to assume voice commands." 

"But how?" I cried in bafflement.

Finally, out of frustration and desperation, I pulled the Quantum Defender and fired at the Q-Rex. That did the trick. The blast distracted the zord away from the Rangers and onto me.

As it bore down on me, I used my visor's scan mode to try to locate any device that might be causing my voice commands to be ignored. I just stood there, scanning as the thing approached. Finally my sights locked onto the controller. I aimed the Defender and fired. As the thing exploded I shouted into my morpher. "Quantasaursus! I command you to **stop!**"

The head came closer and closer to me. I squeezed my eyes shut; convinced I was about to die. But then the most beautiful words I had heard in a long time floated to my ears. "Voice identification…confirmed." I sighed in relief. I had done it. The Q-Rex was mine!

I felt a surge of triumph as I was able to send the Q-Rex back into battle, this time **with** the Rangers and not **against** them. And with the combined forces of the Shadow Force Megazord, the Time Force Megazord **AND** the Quantasaurus in Megazord Mode, Commandocon was soon reduced to a nice handy-dandy pocket sized version of himself.

Finally I had been able to ride in, claim the dragon and save the day. Go me.

~*~

I strode down the long corridors of Biolab like a man on a mission. Actually I was. I walked up to Mr. Collin's secretary and glared down at her. "Is he alone?"

She blinked up at me in surprise and answered without thinking. "Yes. But…"

I only needed the yes. I walked past her and into his office. I yanked off my hat and snapped him a salute. I stood there, at full attention, until he acknowledged me.

When he gave me a nod I went into at-ease stance and looked at him. "I have gained control over the Quantasaurus Rex," I stated flatly.

A smile swept over his face. And when he spoke I could hear that I had impressed him. "I'm glad so see that I'm not the only person around here with a little ambition." I kept my face impassive as he stood and walked over to me. I was stunned when he offered me his hand. When I took it he smiled. "You're now in charge of the Silver Guardians."

I snapped him another salute and smiled. "Sir!" I returned my hat to my head, turned and walked out of the office, my back just a little bit straighter, my head a little bit higher than it had been before.

I had done it. I had set my sights on a goal and achieved it.

Only…it would have been nice to have been able to share my victory with someone.

__

TO BE CONTINUED…


	6. The Lone Ranger

Series Title: Never Saw Me There

Chapter Title: The Lone Ranger

Rating: PG-13

A/N: This chapter deals with the story lines in the episodes "Bodyguard in Blue" and "Trip Takes a Stand". Because these are not Wes based episodes, they do not appear in the story _Identity _by Rach, although I have tried to write this chapter to fit within her world. I have borrowed and stolen ideas and/or parts of her story _Scars _for this chapter though. Any deviation from Time Force is to remain consistent with the world created by Rach or to bring some consistency to holes in plot lines and logic.

Thank you: once again to Rach - words cannot express how much I owe you for all this. 

*******************

A commanding officer should hang out and get to know his squad - find out what makes them tick; how they think; what they dream of; who and what kind of people they are. A good squad is more than a group of co-workers - it's a family.

However, ever since I was given command of the Silver Guardians, I had been unable to bond with my men. A CO they could handle. But I wasn't just their CO - I was the Quantum Ranger. And apparently I had risen too high on the food chain to go grab a beer with.

Well, who needed them anyway? I'd just sit in my closet…er…office and work on duty assignments and incident reports. I tried focusing on the spreadsheet in front of me, but my mind just refused to pay attention. Instead it kept wandering back to the press conference Mr. Collins had held earlier in the day. Press conference… yah right. More like a multi-media publicity stunt. I was beginning to think that perhaps Wes was right…the Silver Guardians, at least to Mr. Collins, were not a way to help and protect the city. Instead they were just a means to an end - a very profitable end.

And then there was they way he was using me. I became the Quantum Ranger to help this city. OK, I had also done it for the attention, but deep down, at the heart of it all, I wanted to help people. Becoming the Quantum Ranger seemed like the best way to do it. It also gave me command of the best, privately funded security force I had ever seen. Albeit a security force that desperately needed direction and leadership. Both skills I happened to possess. 

What I **didn't** become the Quantum Ranger for was to become a human guinea pig. Being told to morph so that they could perform experiments on my gear and me - hours spent trapped within the small confines of a CAT scanner; being poked and prodded. It was enough to make any normal man scream. For me, it was all I could do not to lose myself in the throes of panic attacks and the memories of a time when I had been used and abused so that others could gain information they thought only I had.

I leaned my head back against the back of my chair, rubbed my eyes and sighed. _I'll just close my eyes for a moment and forget about the world and my life._

~*~

__

My arms hurt from being forced over my head. My legs were numb from kneeling for so long.

CRACK! I couldn't help but scream. Thirty-nine…that's how many times that bastard had hit me with the cane this time. I could feel the blood pouring down my back and any slight movement on my part sent ribbons of fire throughout my torso.

"How many Strykers and LAVs are currently stationed in the area?"

"Myers, Eric. Master Sergeant. 569-34-9032."

CRACK. Forty. I was having trouble remaining conscious.

"What are the current positions of the Avengers?"

"Myers, Eric. Master Sergeant. 569-34-9032."

CRACK! Forty-one. I was shocked out of my near unconscious state by a blast of very cold water.

"Myers!" the voice called out. A hand was shaking me. "Commander Myers!"

~*~

"Myers!" the voice called out. I was being shaken. "Commander Myers!"

Suddenly I was very much awake. I blinked several times, trying to get my bearings. Standing in front of me was a man in a blue uniform. It took a moment for my sleep-fogged brain to recognize the uniform as belonging to the Silver Guardians. I sighed in relief when I realized that I was in my office and it was Ben Johnson standing in front of me.

He looked concerned. "You OK Commander? You were crying out."

I suppressed a yawn. "I'm fine. What was I saying?"

"I couldn't quite make it out. You were spouting off a list of numbers." He looked at me long and hard. "Were you here all night?"

All night? I glanced behind him at the clock on the wall. 8:04. Jesus, I had fallen asleep at my desk again. I shrugged. "Had a bunch of reports that I had to get done," I said as I started shuffling the papers on my desk. "Was there something you wanted?"

"Oh, yeah. Andrea Zaskin just called in a panic. Someone or some**thing** kidnapped her husband as he was leaving for work and their little girl is missing."

"She didn't say what this someone or thing looked like?"

He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a note pad. "Woman, late twenties, white vinyl outfit, pink hair. Lots of funny looking robots."

"Nadira," I snarled. I looked up at him. "Boss know?"

He shook his head. "Figured **you** should be the one to tell him."

I chuckled. "Chicken."

He grinned at me. "Mutants, robots, maniacs, bring them on. Boss man…no thank you."

I glanced down at the duty roster I had worked on before my siesta. "I'll go tell Mr. Collins. You go assemble Delta and Yankee teams. I'll meet you in the staging area in twenty."

He snapped me a quick, not to mention rather sloppy, salute and left my office.

As soon as the door was shut behind him, I released the yawn that had wanted to escape. _Great. This was not how I planned to start my Wednesday._

~*~

The day pretty much followed standard operations - arrive in time to see help the Rangers defeat Nadira and rescue Zaskin; help the Rangers stop the mutant du jour; get snubbed by the Rangers. Did they even bother to thank me for bringing the Q-Rex to help them stop Klawlox? Nope. No "Thanks." No "Thank you." No, "Hey Eric, wanna grab a beer and celebrate." Nothing.

Instead I dutifully trudged back to the office to give my report to Mr. Collins. I shouldn't have been surprised by his lack of enthusiasm at the news one of his employees was safe. But I was actually shocked that he hadn't even asked if Dr. Zaskin had been hurt. Nor did he really seem to care when I told him that he wasn't. Wes was definitely right… his dad was an ass. But you know… at least he had a dad. 

~*~

A full week went by before there was another mutant attack. Some crazed blue fish-octopus-like thing had gone rampaging through the shopping district; people were panicking, chaos was ensuing. Luckily some Good Samaritan citizen kept a calm head and called us.

We followed the carnage until it led us to the warehouse district. _What was it with these mutants and the warehouse district?_ I asked myself as we pulled up. 

But it wasn't the fact that we were in the warehouse district that really surprised me. What shocked the hell out of me was what I saw. Nadira and her metal monster Frax were there.. again no biggie. The Green Ranger was fighting them. Ditto the no biggie thing. What got me was that the Green Ranger was preventing them from getting to… **a mutant**. _What the hell was Trip thinking?_

The other SGs had already lined up by the time I managed to shake off my surprise and climb out of the vehicle. I walked up behind them and continued to watch. Nadira, mutants, Frax…oh my. And one Ranger to take them all on; time to join the party. I raised my morpher and shouted into it "Quantum Power!" Within the blink of an eye I was the Quantum Ranger and I was ready to take on all comers.

A few blasts from the Quantum Defender and it was adios to a couple of cyclobots. Which had caused the desired effect…drawing attention away from Trip and onto us. 

"You'll pay for this!" Frax warned. 

"I'm just shaking in my boots," I shot back, keeping the Quantum Defender trained on his overgrown robotic chest.

"Cyclobots…**FIRE**!" Instantly I and the Silver Guardians were under a barrage of blasterfire. We ducked out of the way and for the relative safety that the SUV could provide, all the while returning the gesture.

"Delta team… keep Nadira and Frax engaged. Bravo Company get me that mutant!" I ordered. Immediately Bravo company set up a rocket launcher and had started firing at the mutant.

Trip's smart enough to get out of the way…I hope. Sure enough, I soon saw him scrambling for cover, unfortunately he took the mutant with him. But I had other things to worry about than Trip. He was the Green Ranger. He could take care of himself. I had to stop Nadira.

I opened fire again on the two threats and was greeted with a very surprised exclamation from them both.

"These guys are **so** annoying," Frax whined just as he and Nadira vanished. 

"Damn, they got away," I heard Johnson mutter.

"They'll be back," I said clasping my hand on his shoulder, as I scanned the area for signs of Trip or the mutant. _"Where the hell did Trip go?"_ I looked but I saw no signs of him. Damn. "OK teams. Good job," I called out. "Let's load up and get back to base."

I demorphed and climbed into the car. I sat there fuming. A Time Force Ranger helping a mutant. Now I had seen everything.

~*~

I remained at HQ long enough to drop off the members of my teams before I headed back out. The Guardians had failed to bring in the mutant, but I was going to be damned if I let the Rangers hog all the glory.

Using the locating options on my morpher I was able to locate the Rangers. I pulled the SUV to a halt as four of the five were regrouping. I got out of the vehicle and walked over to Wes.

"Going somewhere?" I demanded.

"What's it to you?" he sneered. 

I leaned in to stand face to faceplate with him. "Your **friend** is hiding a mutant and I want to know where he is."

He shoved a finger into my chest and poked me. "That's **none** of your business," he informed me.

I shoved his hand away from me. "Yes it is. I was hired to protect this city. Which means apprehending rogue mutants. Where is it?"

The Yellow Ranger butted into our conversation. "But you don't understand. This mutant **isn't** violent."

I stormed over to her and looked her square in the visor. "**Not** violent? Don't make me laugh. Did you see the damage it caused to the shopping district? How could you stand there and tell me that it's not violent. It's a mutant. They are **all** violent." I turned to look at the rest of the Rangers. "Make no mistake. I will find it. And when I do, I'll destroy it."

I stiffly walked back to my car. I wasn't sure, but I thought I heard Wes mutter something like "We'll see."

__

Yes, Wes. We'll see. We'll see who apprehends that mutant first. I drove off in search of Trip and my quarry.

~*~

It wasn't long before I had found where Trip and the mutant had taken to ground. Unfortunately the Rangers had found him as well. I heard the unmistakable sound of fighting when arrived. Pausing only long enough to morph, I ran to the source of all the noise.

Sure enough, all five Rangers were battling it out with a horde of cyclobots. They were so busy fighting off the 'bots that they had left the mutant alone. Cautiously I made my way towards it. I had a mission to do and I would be damned if I didn't see it through to the end.

I leveled the Quantum Defender at the mutant, identified by my on-board computer system as Notacon. "Any last words, mutant?" I asked coldly.

Suddenly Trip was standing between the mutant and me. "What **are** you doing?" he demanded.

I kept my Defender trained on the mutant. "Don't interfere, Trip. Step aside." He merely shook his head. To show Trip I was serious I powered up the Defender to maximum. Still he didn't budge. I aimed so that I was sighted about an inch to his right, but so that I could still hit the mutant and fired.

Trip closed his eyes as the blaster fired, but held firm. I waited for the mutant to scream in pain, but it never happened. Instead, the Red Ranger stepped in and deflected the blast with his Crono-Saber. _How **dare** he interfere in **my** job? That mutant was mine!_

"What the hell are you doing, Wes?" I demanded.

He lowered his saber and looked at me. "I'm not going to let you destroy him." 

I looked over his shoulder to see Trip and the mutant taking off at a dead run. I started to pursue but the other Rangers got in my way. "Get out of my way." I snarled. The Pink Ranger shook her head.

"You almost hit Trip," Wes protested. _Almost hit Trip? I would never have hit him. I'm too good of a shot. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Wes._ I realized then that they honestly thought I would harm an innocent. And for all his work as a Ranger, Trip was still an innocent. The mutant on the other hand, wasn't. I saw the damage it caused to the city. I saw the injured people and the chaos that was left in its wake. It needed to be stopped.

So they had made me into the bad guy. So be it. As long as it kept them out of my way, fine. I can play the role they had cast me in. "Then you should have kept him out of my way. **Nothing** is going to stop me from fulfilling my mission. Not you or your misguided scene of right and wrong."

Wes took a step closer. "We are not going to let you get your hands on Notacon."

I chuckled. "You actually think you can stop me?"

The Blue Ranger finally decided to speak. "Do the math, Eric. There are four of us and only one of you." _Butt out, Lucas,_ I thought as I looked from him to the others.

I laughed. I had faced worse odds before and had come out on top. "Do I look scared? I told you, I have a mission to complete. Anyone who gets in my way is going to be sorry...even if it's you." As I spoke I moved so that I was visor to visor with Wes. We stood there for several tense moments.

As I stood there, all my frustration boiled forth and I found myself striking out and I sucker punched him. It was a cheep shot and I knew it, but I was just so pissed off at him and his friends that I acted before thinking.

Wes doubled over and the other three rushed to his aid. I took advantage of their lack of attention to me and took off after Trip. "I warned him," I said as I ran past them.

I found them huddling behind a maze of pipes and conduits. "Hold it right there," I warned as I stepped into view. "There's nowhere left to run." Notacon just sat there whimpering.

Trip, on the other hand, stood up to me. I had to give him credit. He may be a little blind to the nature of people, but he had guts. "Leave him alone!" He moved so that he was blocking my aim on the mutant, forcing me to redirect the Defender.

"Trip, get out of the way."

Trip's eyes flicked to something behind me. The other Rangers no doubt. "Trip!" I heard Katie call out. I spun around and, aiming the Defender towards the ground, fired a warning shot.

"STAY BACK!" I called out

As they took a step back, Wes called out. "Eric you are making a **big** mistake here."

"What mistake? He's a mutant. And mutants must be destroyed. You do it yourself."

"What!" Jen exclaimed.

Wes shook his head. "Eric, listen. We **don't **destroy them. We put them into cryostatis so that they can be brought to justice."

"Justice?" I laughed. "You think they deserve the same kind of justice we do? They're not even human. A dog attacks a human; we put it to sleep. Same hold for mutants."

Trip stepped forward. "So that's it. It's not human so it's OK to kill it. You don't know anything about. You hate him because he **looks** different. What a bigoted way of thinking." 

That startled me. _Me, bigoted?_ I found myself lowering my blaster.

Despite having lowered my weapon, he continued on his tirade. "Well, if you feel the need to destroy that which is different than you, you can start with me." He pulled off his big floppy hat and I could see a strange crystal embedded in his forehead.

"What the…?" I muttered.

As I stood there dumbfounded, the other Rangers cried out their protests to Trip's actions. Even the mutant cried out. "Trip, no! You can't do this," it pleaded. Trip glared at me once before turning his attention to Notacon.

"It's OK. I'm not afraid to stand up for what's right," he reassured the creature. "Besides, if we don't do it, who will?"

I could only just stand there stunned. The Rangers were willing to stand and offer friendship to a mutant. They defended it just as fiercely as they defended each other. _A mutant! A bloody, stinking mutant! Wes offers him a hand in friendship but treats me like scum. All I wanted was his acceptance. But he pushed me away. Yet he openly welcome a mutant into his heart. And the others are just as bad. This is **not** fair!_

Anger forced me to raise my blaster again and aim it at the mutant. _If I get rid of it, they can't be friends with it. Plus it would be one less mutant running around to destroy things._

Suddenly Trip's voice filled my head. _"Please, Eric. Don't do it. I can't lie to you mind to mind. He isn't a threat to you or the city. Let him be."_

__

NO! I silently cried and fired. But as I squeezed the trigger, I altered the direction of the muzzle slightly so that it harmlessly hit some nearby pipes. Everyone just stared at me. I shrugged and looked at the Defender. "You're lucky. There must be something wrong with this thing," I said. "Better go fix it." And with that I walked away from the group.

I remained calm as I felt their eyes follow me until I rounded a corner and disappeared from their view. Once I was away from their gazes, I slumped against a nearby wall and fought the urge to shake.

I had spared the life of a mutant. I had failed in my mission. I had done the right thing. But knowing that it was the right thing, didn't make the knowledge that the Rangers, and more importantly, Wes, cared more about a mutant than they did about me any less painful. 

And Trip! What was up with him? When I had first met him, I had dismissed him as a young kid going through his "I wanna be a punk freak" phase. After all, nobody has green hair unless they are trying to rebel against society. But now…I wasn't sure. In his tirade he implied that he wasn't human. He sure as hell **looked** human. But if he wasn't human, what was he? Martian? Vulcan? He had to be human. I just misunderstood him. If he wasn't, then that meant that Wes had given his friendship to another _thing_ rather than try to renew ours.

So Wes was attracted to freaks. I wondered if he knew what had happened to me; if he saw the damage the KLA had done, he would see me as enough of a freak to let me back into his world. But for him to know would mean that I'd have to tell him. No one who has ever found out about what had happened has ever offered friendship or support. No, I got pitied. Thank you, but no thanks.

But that left me right back where I started…friendless, worthless, hopeless. Incapable of even completing a simple retrieve and destroy mission.

Before I could travel any further down the path of self-loathing, a loud cry grabbed my attention. It had come from the area where I had left the Rangers and the mutant. Without a second thought, I ran around the corner of the building I had been leaning against and came to a dead stop and looked up.

There, grown to one hundred times his normal self was Notacon, battling it out with the Rangers' Shadow Force Megazord. _So the mutant isn't dangerous, huh? He doesn't pose a threat to me or the city, huh? That's what you get for giving your trust to someone or something. _ I started to raise my morpher so that I could call the Q-Rex, but something caught my attention.

Frax.

He was there with a controller in his hands. "You think he's nasty now? He hasn't

even gotten warmed up yet!" I heard him sneer. So it was Frax who was controlling the mutant. If he was under Frax's control, then he was a threat and needed to be stopped. 

Again, I started to raise my morpher to call the Q-Rex, but like before, movement to the left of me caught my eye. Trip was kneeling near by with his Electro Booster aimed at the gigantic battle and its participants. "Come on," I heard him mutter. "I just need one clear shoot to free him from Frax's control."

Confused, I followed Trip's line of sight and saw what he was aiming at. There was some kind of electrode fixed to Notacon's head. _That must be what is allowing Frax to control him,_ I thought. _If I can distract Frax, then the other's might have a chance of stopping Notacon._

I reached for the Quantum Defender. As I did, Frax noticed Trip and knocked him to the ground, where he proceeded to use his giant metal foot to stomp on the boy's chest. I fired the Defender and hit the robot cleanly in the midsection. He stumbled away, dazed.

Seizing the opportunity, I raised my morpher and called the Q-Rex. As I waited for my zord to join the fray, I looked up to gage the progress of the battle. The Shadow Force Megazord was not doing very good. In fact, with one well-placed blow, Notacon had managed to topple the Megazord over.

I heard the battle cry of the Q-Rex, just as the Megazord landed. I pressed the command button on my morpher. "Q-Rex, attack!" Instantly the Quantasaurus charged at the mutant. "Q-Rex, hold him but do not injure him!" I amended, knowing that if I could just hold the mutant, Trip or one of the others could destroy the control device.

Unfortunately, Notacon had other idea; or rather, Frax did. He had once again gained control over the mutant and was instructing him to put up one hell of a fight. Notacon grabbed the Q-Rex's jaw and kept it from completing the charge. He then started delivering kick after kick to the zord's torso. Q-Rex fell to the ground sparking.

"ARGH!" I cried and leveled the Quantum Defender once again at Frax and fired. The oversized tin can went flying backwards and landed in a heap; the controller skidded across the pavement in the opposite direction. _Right, that being done, let's take this mutant down._

I raised the morpher again, pressed the com button and called to the Q-Rex, who had already regained its footing. "Q-Rex, hold the mutant!" The giant zord complied and stepped forward to engage with the mutant. It grabbed hold of Notacon's arm with its jaws and stepped onto his foot, preventing him from running away.

It took a few moments before the other Rangers realized what the Q-Rex was doing. Obviously they still thought I was there to destroy the mutant. Well, if they didn't hurry up and destroy the control device, I **was** going to take out the mutant… my way.

Suddenly a burst energy flew through the air and struck the control device, sending it into hundreds of little pieces. I raised the morpher again. "Q-Rex, release him!" The zord growled in frustration as it let go and took a step back… it obviously didn't want to let the mutant go any more than I really did. I was giving the Rangers a chance to prove that it was harmless. 

The Shadow Force Megazord pulled out a large sword and moment's later, the mutant was frozen and had shrunk down to a handy-dandy action figure size. I looked up at the Q-Rex, who once again howled in frustration. "I know buddy, I know," I muttered. "Q-Rex, rest." It bobbed its head once in understanding and ambled off to its cave to rest and recover from the day's activities. I holstered the Quantum Defender and returned to my SUV. When I reached the vehicle, I demorphed and climbed in. I sat there thinking. 

The Rangers had been right. Not all mutants were bad. Perhaps I had been overly hasty in my judgement.

And we did work good as a team rather than them versus me. Maybe we should work on making that more of a regular thing. **If** they will accept me.

I decided that there was only way to find out if they would be willing to work together with me. I had to go ask. Throwing the SUV into drive, I headed for the battle site.

I pulled up to see them all smiling and slapping each other on the backs, congratulating themselves on a job well done. All five looked up as I pulled my vehicle to a stop. Suddenly their mood changed to one of disdain. I didn't need to read minds to know that I was not welcome there. Even Wes didn't look happy to see me. Jen's reaction was the same as it always was… Ice Queen.

__

So much for working on this teamwork thing, I thought as I got out of the car. Trip stood there holding the cryocapsule and the others circled around him protectively. _Definitely not wanted here. Fine. Screw you. Screw you all. Who needs you anyway. I was stupid for thinking that we could be friends and teammates._

I stepped forward, removed my sunglasses and glared at them. The 'I was wrong, you were right' speech I was going to give suddenly was no longer appropriate, but I had to say something. "Ya got lucky today. But the next time a mutant attacks the city, you had better stay out of the Guardian's way or we'll run right over you."

I slid my glasses on, turned and headed back to my vehicle. Friends are only a hindrance anyway. So they hated me. Big deal. So they pushed me away. Who cares. Better to be hated and alone than pitied.

__

TO BE CONTINUED…


End file.
